Abstract
Objective To understand the experience of spirituality in the daily routine of a palliative care interdisciplinary team. Method A qualitative study was conducted with an oncological palliative care team in southern Brazil. The data was collected through phenomenological interviews in 2014, and interpreted using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Results Six professionals participated in the study. Spiritually-related activities, such as prayer and providing comprehensive care, were useful therapeutic resources for offering comfort, survival with dignity and humanization of death, in addition to helping the team and patients understand the end-of-life process and search for meaning in the suffering caused by illness. Conclusion Spirituality on the part of professionals with patients imparted meaning to their palliative care work and facilitated the formation of bonds between teams, patients, and family members.
Highlights
Palliative care involves improving the quality of life of people and their families who are facing life-threatening conditions, through early diagnosis and treatment of physical, psychosocial and spiritual symptoms[1]
The present study explores the spiritual dimension that tends to emerge in the end-of-life process
The information was collected from June to October 2014, via scheduled phenomenological interviews: four were conducted in rooms set aside by the hospital and two at the homes of the professionals, by their preference. These interviews contained the following questions: one which was general – What meaning does spirituality have for you as a professional in treating palliative care patients?”; and two guiding questions – Tell me about your experience interacting with these patients and What influence do you feel your spirituality has on your work process? The information was recorded and transcribed in the days following the interviews
Summary
Palliative care involves improving the quality of life of people and their families who are facing life-threatening conditions, through early diagnosis and treatment of physical, psychosocial and spiritual symptoms[1] This type of care requires multiprofessional teams in order to cover the multiplicity of aspects related to the disease process, and thereby care for human beings in their wholeness, from the start of palliative care up to the family grieving process[2]. Once data is collected from the medical record, the professional can endeavor to support the beliefs of the individual receiving palliative care by providing an environment that permits religious rituals that are important to the individual and manifesting a welcoming attitude toward the patient’s community of faith These are avenues through which professionals can integrate spirituality into health care[4]
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