Spiritual Care at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

The Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Spiritual Health Practitioner is specially trained to help people discover and make use of the spiritual health resources available to them, both within themselves and in the community.

Respecting the various ways people look at Spiritual Health, which may or may not include religion, the Spiritual Health Practitioner will visit patients to offer spiritual support, if requested by the patient, the patient's family or by staff. The Spiritual Health Practitioner also offers spiritual support to staff and their families.

Sacred Space

Gathering Space

Island Health recognizes the importance of ensuring that everyone in our community feel welcome and respected when they receive healthcare services. The Gathering Place (permanent name to be determined) provides patients and families with a place to seek comfort, family support or ceremony. 

To access the gathering space from the main floor entrance turn right at information desk, go to end of the hall, turn right, then left.  The space will be on your right in that hallway.

The gathering space is a place for all patients to go for:

• Quiet reflection
• Grieving
• Spiritual reflection and practices
• Ceremony including smudging
• Private meetings/consults
• Family time and family meals
• End of life care

A place for all families to gather to:

• Support each other and patient(s)
• Gather in times of crisis
• Support the passing of a loved one
• Provide a safe place for ceremony

Access to the Room

• The room is available 7 days a week and available on a drop-in basis for patient, family and friends use.
• Staff may attend with a patient or family upon request.  Appropriate staff use includes attending a family meeting, participating in end of life discussions, bereavement support, supporting a cultural practice, etc.
• Doors will be locked 8:30pm-5:30am for security reasons, please contact the Coordinator of Site Operations (CSO) for access afterhours  (local 52337)
• There may be limited access for staff use for their own personal or professional wellbeing in exceptional circumstances and this must be pre-approved through Marysia Riverin, Spiritual Health (local 54022) to ensure it does not impact patient/ family access.

Guidelines for Use

• Individuals are welcome to bring drinks and food with them however must ensure things are left neat and tidy for the next user.
• Patients and family members are invited to bring their own cultural ceremonial supplies.
• Feel free to use the electric fireplace which is motion censored
  • This room is equipped with a special ventilation system that allows for smudging to be safely practiced. 
  • Contact the CSO to inform when the cultural practice will take place (local 52337)
  • Please make sure the doors are closed
  • Display “in use” sign to ensure no one opens the doors from inside the hospital
  • Turn off oxygen supply if in use for a patient
  • Ensure safe practice and clean-up of residue from materials
  • Please contact CSO when you have completed your cultural practice
  • Housekeeping if the floor or furniture needs cleaning after ceremony (local 52492)

Please be respectful of this shared space and leave it clean and tidy

Spiritual Health Practitioner

Marysia Riverin
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
250-755-7691 (ext. 54022), Cell: 250-713-3883
Office Location: 1003D (across from Code Brew coffee kiosk)

Paul Truman
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
250-755-7691 (ext. 54428) Cell: 236-638-7184
Office Location: E1144