The purpose of this Caritas Coach project was to create a formalized process to assist the nurse to create a Caring Moment with a patient. A staff nurse, proposed an idea for helping to create a caring moment with patients through use of a flameless candle and a group process. Her idea was to set aside a time in which staff and the patient and their family would meet and focus on a prayer, a meditation, a circle of silence, or even song, depending on the patient’s wishes.

1. Kaiser Permanente, Northern California
Caritas Consortium 2013
Caritas Candle Project
Caritas in Action
How Caring Science informs and inspires KP caregivers and affirms our commitment to provide our
patients and their families exceptional care

2. Caritas Candle Project
Intent to Contribute Statement:
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to create a formalized process to assist the nurse to create a Caring
Moment with a patient.
Project Description: Shannon Norman, a staff nurse, proposed an idea for helping to create a caring moment with
patients through use of a flameless candle and a group process. Her idea was to set aside a time in which staff and
the patient and their family (if the patient desired) would meet and focus on a prayer, a meditation, a circle of
silence, or even song, depending on the patient’s wishes. A flameless candle would be presented to the patient at
the end of the gathering. Candles are also significant in Jean Watson’s work (2008). Jean Watson has a candle that
she takes wherever she speaks. She uses the candle to represent the light of nursing around the world. This project
uses the flameless candle to represent the love and light of the healthcare delivery staff caring for our patients.
Participants in the project group met several times to create a binder to keep on the units so that, if the staff
wanted to create a Caritas Candle Moment with a patient, they would have the necessary tools. The binder contains
prayers, poems, and stories from other Caritas Candle Moments. Staff from our group presented information on the
Caritas Candle project at the September medical/surgical unit council meeting.
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3. Caritas Candle Project
Con’t:
Project Outcome: Each unit in the hospital will have a Caritas Candle binder as well as candles and will understand
the concept of creating a Caritas Moment with patients. This will strengthen the staff’s awareness of the importance
of the human-to-human connection and also address potential spiritual or emotional needs of patients. The longterm goal is to share this process with community members of Santa Rosa by asking our patients to place the
candles on the windowsill of their hospital room. As the community drives by the hospital, they will see the candles
in the windows and be asked to send good intentions to one who may be suffering. Not every patient in the
hospital will receive a candle. Staff will be empowered to select patients for this process. Staff may choose to select
a patient who is struggling with a new diagnosis, or perhaps celebrating good news from a physician related to their
illness.
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4. Caritas Candle Project
Inspired Contributor(s) 1 :
Denise Laws – Caritas Coach

-----Service Area: Marin/ Sonoma
Medical Center: SRO
Affiliation: PCS
-----Year Shared: 2013
Venue: Caritas Consortium
Format: Poster
ID #: n/a
1
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Names as listed in Lotus Notes, otherwise personal e-mails indicated
Keyword TAGs:
Identifier
 Consortium2013-July, Marin
Sonoma, Santa
Rosa, Poster, Caritas
Coach, Patient Care Services
 Healing
Environments, Patients/Families
Descriptor
 Caring
Moment, Spirituality, Storytelling

5. Caritas Candle Project
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