There was a time I loathed visiting people in the hospital. Part of it was because of the unrealistic training that I receive in the seminary. Of course you could not dress like a priest and we were sent into people’s rooms without warning to offer prayer or conversation or whatever. Once there was a lady who had just had a total mastectomy. I walked in and said hello and tried to explain who I was when she started yelling at me to get out - shouting something about shiftless men who did this to her. That is where I got this case of fear of going to hospitals. Unless I had every bit of information including which bed the patient was in and was sure that the person wanted to see a priest I would go in shaking.
Father goes on to say that he has gotten over his fear because visiting people "for real" is very different than the typical Hospital Visitation class you take in the seminary. That's not to say that you don't really minister to people during this class, but it is a very different situation and, while I've never been yelled at, I can empathize with the anxiety.
Making visits to the hospital as a class helped me to feel a little more comfortable with the whole thing. Another great experience I had was visiting a nearby mental hospital once a week for a whole semester. That really shows you how to feel at least slightly confident in an uncomfortable situation.
However, the thing that made me appreciate visiting the sick and shut-in was one of my summer placements. That summer, I would go with two members of the parish on about 30 "communion calls" every week. I got to know the people we visited and they looked forward to our time with them.
While visiting a nursing home, etc. may not feel like a positive experience for you, the gratitude you see on the faces of the people you visit shows you why it is vital.
Last week my bishop told me, "Always visit hospitals. Always visit shut-ins." It's good advice.
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