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Spirituality in Patients at the End of Life—Is It Necessary? A Qualitative Approach to the Protagonists

Author

Listed:
  • E. Begoña García-Navarro

    (Nursing Department, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
    Social Studies and Social Intervention Research Center (ESEIS), Contemporary Thinking and Innovation for Social Development Research Center (COIDESO), Faculty of Nursing, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
    Coping In the End of Life Reseach Center (AFLV), INVESTIGA+, Junta de Andalucía, 41008 Sevilla, Spain)

  • Alicia Medina-Ortega

    (Nursing Department, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain)

  • Sonia García Navarro

    (Nursing Department, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
    Coping In the End of Life Reseach Center (AFLV), INVESTIGA+, Junta de Andalucía, 41008 Sevilla, Spain
    United Clinical Management (U.G.C. Los Rosales), Distrito Huelva-Costa-Condado-Campiña, 21007 Huelva, Spain)

Abstract

Spirituality is the most unknown aspect of palliative care despite being the need that is most altered in the last moments of life. Objective. To identify on the one hand the spiritual needs of patients who are at the end of life and on the other hand, the way in which nursing professionals can work to provide effective accompaniment in this process. Method. A qualitative study was conducted which applied different data collection techniques. This was done to describe the phenomenon from a holistic perspective in relation to experts’ perceptions of the competencies required by health professionals and palliative patients’ spiritual needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted within both populations. In order to analyze the qualitative data collected through interviews, discourse was analyzed according to the Taylor–Bodgan model and processed using Atlas.ti software. Results. Three well-differentiated lines of argument are extracted from the discourse in each of the groups, on the one hand in the group of patients they define the concept of spirituality, system of values and beliefs, and the Factors that influence the spirituality of patients at the end of life (differentiating palliative care areas/other areas) and on the other, the professionals agree with the patients in the line of argument of concept of spirituality although they define more metaphysical categories and the other two lines of argument that result are the spiritual attention in this process and the need for formation in spirituality. Conclusions. The provision of spiritual care gives meaning to the actions of nursing professionals when it comes to providing end-of-life care, achieving holistic care, humanizing death, and promoting a dignified end.

Suggested Citation

  • E. Begoña García-Navarro & Alicia Medina-Ortega & Sonia García Navarro, 2021. "Spirituality in Patients at the End of Life—Is It Necessary? A Qualitative Approach to the Protagonists," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-13, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:227-:d:711334
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    Cited by:

    1. Carlos Laranjeira & Enric Benito & Maria Anjos Dixe & Monica Dones & Marcela Specos & Ana Querido, 2023. "SPACEE Protocol: “Spiritual Care Competence” in PAlliative Care Education and PracticE: Mixed-Methods Research in the Development of Iberian Guidelines," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-11, February.

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