El valor de la dimensión espiritual en el final de la vida desde la perspectiva de los profesionales de enfermería

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine and interpret the nurse perspective on the spiritual dimension of individuals at the end of life. MethodThis study fits into the qualitative paradigm, and uses the phenomenological-hermeneutical method of interpretation, directed at determining the meaning that people give to their experience and understanding the motives and beliefs that drive actions. The design was of the emerging type, with a flexibility that helped to perform an interdependent discourse analysis. The population studied consisted of 41 professional nurses with responsibility in the areas of health care, management, teaching and research in Huelva: Hospital area (22), home support of palliative care team (1), health centers (17), and University (1). The information has been obtained through nominal group, group discussion, and interview techniques. ResultsIt was found that this dimension is weakly integrated into the nursing image of the care in the process of dying and, therefore, little valued as an important element in the support of the sick person in the terminal phase. DiscussionThe spiritual dimension of care at the end of life is an emerging dimension in the care for people in the process of dying, which requires a specific line of research to determine human needs in more detail, as well as the responsibility of nurses to provide an increasingly comprehensive and committed response.