• Sarah Byrne-Martelli.
• Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Electronic address: Sbyrne-martelli@mgh.harvard.edu.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 Nov 1; 62 (5): 1100-1102.

AbstractWhen caring for a grieving patient, professional chaplains may assess the patient's spiritual suffering, address questions of meaning and purpose, and identify sources of comfort, love, and strength. In the setting of a pandemic, with heightened precautions and limited visitation by loved ones, all members of the clinical team are called to utilize compassionate listening and communication skills to address the pervasive isolation and grief of those in their care. This article uses a chaplain's personal narrative to explore the challenges of facilitating grief support with a newly bereaved patient who cannot speak. It presents the Biblical concept of kol d'mama daka, the "still small voice," as an image of the power of silence and revelation that comes when clinicians employ deep listening and compassion.Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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