Multifaith care for sick and dying children and their families - Paul Nash

What do you need to know in order to provide the best possible care for sick children of different faiths? What, in the context of the young person's faith, might it be helpful to know to support the child and the family, improve care, communicate sensitively and avoid causing offence?

Drawing on extensive, evidence-based research and practice, this practical resource addresses the multi-faith needs of sick and dying children and young people in hospitals and the wider community. Covering Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism, it provides the key information needed to help multi-disciplinary healthcare staff offer the best, culturally-appropriate care to sick children and their families. The book discusses daily, palliative, end of life and bereavement care in a range of settings, including hospitals, hospices, schools and home. The information provided covers those aspects of the religions discussed that are essential for healthcare staff to understand, including modesty and hygiene, taboos, food and prohibited products, age-related issues, sacred objects, visitors, and the expectations of the family. It includes important information on the issues of disability and mental health in each faith as well as addressing the significance within different faith traditions of the transitions from childhood to adolescence to adulthood.

A comprehensive resource that uniquely focuses on the care needs of sick children from different faiths, this book will be of immeasurable value to multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, bereavement support and palliative care workers, carers, counsellors, chaplains and arts therapists.

Paul Nash has worked at Birmingham Children's Hospital since 2002 and has been Chaplaincy Team Leader (Senior Chaplain) since 2004.
He is Director of Red Balloon Resources: for paediatric daily, palliative end of life and bereavement care for children, families and staff and the Co-founder and Co-convenor of the Paediatric Chaplaincy Network for Great Britain and Ireland. Paul is perceived to be one of the leading thinkers in the field of paediatric chaplaincy. He also lectures on work with children and young people, and is currently researching and developing distinctive standards, competencies and best practice for paediatric chaplaincy. He is the academic lead on children's and young people's chaplaincy modules with Staffordshire and Gloucestershire Universities.

Zamir Hussain is a Muslim Chaplain at Birmingham Children's Hospital and has pioneered resources in Islamic health care. She has published several books for bereaved Muslim parents and siblings. She has also developed the first UK blended learning resource, including care plans and pathways for Islamic daily, palliative, end of life and bereavement care for paediatric staff. Zamir has worked as a Muslim Chaplain for both the Heart of England NHS Trust and Birmingham Children's hospital for over five years, where she has also run training courses for the staff as well as delivering training and talks on care for Muslim patients to organisations around the country.

Madeleine Parkes is a spiritual care advisor and researcher with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Madeleine has a degree in Theology and Philosophy and is currently completing her Masters in Health Research. She has worked as an autism therapist and volunteers with the Samaritans. She is continuing her counselling training with accreditation from the UK Council for Psychotherapists and has a keen interest in the role that spirituality and religion can play in health and wellbeing, particularly in mental health. Madeleine has published original research in a number of peer-reviewed journals and has contributed several co-authored chapters to edited books on spirituality and mental health.

...I was left a little in awe at what these people were managing to do. I was pleased to see Nash's statement that his team's work was not in the interests of some multicultural political correctness, but because they believed their paediatric patients and their families would get better care. This book has got a lot to offer anybody who works in palliative care in a multifaith setting, not just the chaplaincy team.
Roger Woodruff, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care Newsletter

The book is full of cultural and religious helps that concern the entire healthcare treatment team from routine care to palliative and end-of-life care...the book is truly a resource for all bedside clinicians, including professional chaplains, nursing, medicine and other therapeutic specialty clinicians, too. Each chapter focuses on care for a child and family from each of the faith traditions. A Buddhist mother's reflection on spiritual and religious care needs during the premature birth of her twins was particularly enlightening and informative. Then in the final chapter, Paul Nash does a nice job of highlighting spiritual assessment tools and setting up spiritual care that is reflective of pathway care. This book will help new chaplains and seasoned chaplains who need a thorough resource and guide for pediatric palliative and end-of-life care, and the care preceding those difficult and trying times.
APC Forum, Association of Professional Chaplains - George M. Rossi MA MDiv BCC, clinical chaplain, Pastoral Care Services, Medical University of South Carolina

This is a well written book that is easy to refer to when needed and can be used by any level of chaplain or health care professional. Having been a chaplain for several years and worked and specialized in paediatric settings I found this book refreshing, educational and both uplifting and encouraging. I know I will be re-reading it again and again in my work.
Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, Issue 4.1 (June) 2016 - Revd Philip Wright