Debriefing The Dying Man's Journey

This film speaks to the physician’s heart. Consequently there is usually a protracted silence after it is shown. The Chief Facilitator is wise to let the participants break the silence and avoid the temptation to make personal observations or ask guiding questions as in the preceding vignettes. Have tissues available. As this conversation winds down, you may choose to have the physician champion lead the closing segment of the program. Use a flip chart and ask the group as a whole to identify the barriers we experience in serving the spiritual needs of patients. Invite the participants to consider one at a time what barriers they see for families, nurses, support staff, other physicians and hospital administrators. Encourage them to write down one thing that they will put into action. A variation on the action step is to have them self address a postal card and write the action plan on it. Drop all postal cards in the mail between two and three weeks after the conference. Offer a closing prayer. Have participants complete the course evaluations.