So, I was offered, and I accepted, a Hospital Chaplain (Per Diem) position at Grand View Hospital. Offer is contingent on verified completion of one unit of CPE. I am slated to complete a unit before the end of October.
Photo: Me next to "Today is a good day for a good day" (one of the positive wall messages found on walls around the hospital. Photo taken September 10, 2024, the day I received email confirmation for the job.
Follow up on that on-call Chaplain position. I've hit a bit of a snag. A week after the offer, I received an email about my upcoming health screening. In that email, I was told I'll also be fitted for an N95 Mask, and I'm asked to "come clean shaven per the [a list of] acceptable facial styles." This is on the chance I'll need to enter a room with PPE. The chance is small, but not zero. And ... well ... you see my beard, right? Sigh.
@brainwise yeh…hard to clear an N95 if you can’t seal. I would suggest asking them if they have a respirator that can go over your head if ever that issue arose
@Thumprhare I did bring that up, but this is somehow an OSHA thing and ... they only do the on-the-face masking. Or so it seems.
@brainwise an OSHA thing? I would ask them what accommodations they make for Sikhs?
I can try to find an OHSA exception, I was a hospitalist for a number of years. I saw plenty of other doctors and nurses with beards that would not have cleared an N95 in the traditional way.
@Thumprhare I wonder if expense is an issue in that regard. I just looked up over-the-head respirators and ... yikes!
@brainwise trust me they probably have a few and if the hospitals does orthopedic surgeries they very likely have the whole ‘space suit’ and the included overhead respirators….and they are generally one time use for the moon suits
@Thumprhare They're a level 2 trauma center, so... Probably?
@brainwise yeh, I would say so…
@Thumprhare Well, I submitted my religious accommodation request. I cited a Norse myth (Thor didn't shave, even though it might mean not retrieving Mjölnir), and the OSHA snippet you shared with me. :)
@brainwise hehe….may the gods show you favor in the way best way forward to your aims
@brainwise eh, I almost make sense sometimes
lol
@Thumprhare @brainwise Congrats on the job buddy! Lots of faiths have facial hair so I'm certain they'll work a compromise. You will be an asset to all those of a more diverse faith path.