SUPPORTING YOUR HEALING SINCE 1994
Allegheny General Hospital is recruiting Level II Reiki practitioners interested in serving as volunteers, providing Reiki services on an inpatient basis.
AGH has offered Reiki therapy to patients since at least 1997 under the auspices of the hospital’s Integrated Medicine Department, founded and headed by Dr. Paul Lebovitz. The program does not require any particular style of Reiki; this is left up to the individual practitioner. Level II practitioners are sought because the position calls for substantial responsibility and independence on the part of the volunteer.
The program has had as many as eight volunteers participating in the program. Four volunteers are currently involved, and they cumulatively provided 471 patients with volunteer Reiki services in 2006. Three of the four have contributed over 500 hours of service individually over the course of their tenure as volunteers, and the fourth has over 400 hours.
Current volunteers work either individually or in a team of two. Requests for Reiki come from various floors in the hospital, the Cancer Center, and the Intensive Care Unit, where working relationships between the Reiki program and the floor or unit staffs have been developing. In these parts of the hospital, Reiki is recognized and valued as providing benefits to the patients. Barbara Jean Nagrant, Ph.D., who oversees the Reiki program, recounts that “there are many Reiki success stories. Patients are asked to complete an evaluation form after their Reiki session. Feedback shows that relaxation increases and pain decreases.”
According to Dr. Nagrant, the program is in transition. “We would like to expand the service to other floors in the hospital, but we’re waiting to build those relationships until we have the additional volunteers on board to handle any new requests.”
Volunteers can schedule their hours according to their convenience and availability. The current volunteers offer Reiki in the hospital on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Ideally, the program would like to offer coverage on each day of the week with more than one volunteer, not only to increase the number of requests that can be accommodated, but also to increase companionship and support opportunities among the volunteers.
Interested practitioners can contact Dr. Nagrant at 412-359-8209 to schedule an interview and discuss the program. Volunteer training consists of sessions conducted by Jennifer Kopar of AGH’s Volunteer Office, as well as some reading and form completion that can be done on one’s own. Altogether, training requirements generally take from 3 to 5 hours. A tuberculosis test is also required, and is administered by the hospital free of charge. The hospital’s liability insurance covers services rendered in the course of approved volunteer activities, a complimentary meal, and free parking is provided for volunteers.
Volunteers meet every other month with Dr. Nagrant and Ms. Kopar to share experiences and ideas, and to discuss any education, training or other needs or issues that might arise.
Dr. Nagrant is a psychology fellow with the Allegheny Center for Digestive Health (ACDH), and incorporates mind-body-spirit approaches into her work with gastroenterology and integrated medicine patients. Her plans include becoming a licensed psychologist for ACDH and joining the faculty of Drexel University College of Medicine in July of 2007. Dr. Nagrant is a Reiki Level II practitioner, has studied working with physical process and energy medicine in the practice of psychology with Michael Clemmens, Ph.D., James Kepner, Ph.D., and Denise Tervo, Ph.D. of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. She began coordinating the Reiki volunteer program March of 2007, and sees great benefit for not only the patients, but also for the volunteers. “They have a sense of being valued, respected, and come away with an overall positive experience.”
Fall 2008
Allegheny General Hospital Seeks Reiki Volunteers