How do I arrange confession as a hospital inpatient?

Call the spiritual care or chaplaincy office, and use the word priest.

The wording matters. Only a priest can hear a confession and give absolution. Chaplaincy teams also include deacons and lay chaplains. They can pray with you and bring Communion, but they cannot absolve you. So a general request for a chaplain may not reach the right person. Ask when a priest is next on site, and what happens outside normal hours.

In a Catholic facility, the Directives put an obligation on the institution here: "Particular care should be taken to provide and to publicize opportunities for patients or residents to receive the sacrament of Penance."

Privacy is a fair thing to ask for. A shared bay is not a confessional. You can ask staff to draw the curtain, or ask a roommate's visitors to step out for a few minutes. That is an ordinary request, and they will help with it.

Have you been away from the sacrament for a long time? You do not need to explain that on the phone, and it is not a screening question. Priests who do hospital work spend much of their time with people in exactly that position.

Sources

• USCCB — Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, Seventh Edition (2025)
• National Cancer Institute — Spirituality in Cancer Care (PDQ) Health Professional Version
• National Cancer Institute — Spirituality in Cancer Care (PDQ) Patient Version