"Blessing of Hands" starts Nurses Week at Kaiser Permanente

Amid the routine tense busy-ness of the Kaiser Permanente Redwood City, California emergency department, there was a small area of peace and tenderness: in an aisle off to the side, Father Martin Muruli stood, offering to bless the hands of the nurses and staff at the start of Nurses Week. Dozens accepted.
Nationwide, the “Blessing of the Hands” is an interfaith practice, done at many hospitals as the week set aside for appreciating and supporting nurses begins. Many Kaiser Permanente hospitals have priests or chaplains do the inclusive blessing: at Kaiser Permanente Redwood City, it’s an annual event.
Gently, Fr Muruli supported the hands of Kaiser Permanente emergency department nurses with his hands and with a slight Jamaican lilt, began a prayer that starts “May these hands that bring healing touch to patients be blessed….”
And one-by-one, nurses and techs took a few seconds away from their medical record computer screens or medication trays to receive the blessing. One got teary. Another crossed himself.
Walking with Fr Muruli was a hospital volunteer, carrying a basket filled with shiny black decorative stones. Each nurse got one.
“The stones are to symbolize strength and courage,” said Kathleen Steele, LCSW, Kaiser Permanente Redwood City social services manager. “It is our hope that the stone will serve to remind our staff that the meaningful contribution they make to patients and families is honored and recognized
Indeed, most of the nurses held the black stone tightly, rubbing it with their fingers. A few were surprised…and grateful…. they could keep the shiny stone.
Father Muruli, who is the chaplain at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara and other hospitals nearby, walked quickly from department to department, from floor to floor in the new 7-story Redwood City hospital. In some areas, the nurses would see him coming and line up for a blessing.
His short prayer continued: “….may you be gifted with courage and strength.”
Father Muruli smiled as he continued to another area of the hospital: “This is a blessing in itself, isn’t it?”