For the past several months, Rabbi Simcha Zevit, staff chaplain at HUP, has been leading Mindfulness Meditation sessions for the nursing staff, social workers, and other members of the patient care team on Rhoads 3. This meditation technique helps to reduce stress by keeping a person’s focus on the present (leaving worries about the past and future behind).
“It’s wonderful as both a self-care technique for all of us who work in healthcare, and as a way for us to improve our interactions with patients,” Zevit said.
The more Mindfulness Meditation is practiced, the more benefits it provides, said Zevit, who is the interfaith chaplain on Rhoads 3 and 7 oncology units. “Taking five minutes a day to get centered in the present moment can have an impact, make a difference. It can lead to greater awareness, relaxation and becoming more grounded in what is happening in each moment..”
Zevit also leads Mindfulness sessions at the Nursing Renewal Center, but it’s often hard for nurses to leave their units. So when Kristen Bink, clinical nurse specialist on Rhoads 3, asked if Zevit could lead short sessions on the unit, she decided to give it a try. Now, every Monday, you’ll find Zevit leading these 20-minutes sessions. She offers a short amount of instruction but mostly “it’s experiential. Several people have told me that it’s a reminder of to do something that feels nourishing during our work day.”