Soolmaz Moosavi1, Camelia Rohani2, Fariba Borhani3, Mohammad Esmaeel Akbari4. 1. School of Nursing & Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2. Community Health Nursing Department, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: camelia.rohani@sbmu.ac.ir. 3. Medical Surgical Department, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 4. Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Integrating spirituality into the patient care within a healthcare team, increases the ability to provide "holistic care" for cancer patients. The spiritual care experiences of different involved persons can be a guide for future planning. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the spiritual care experiences of hospitalized cancer patients, their family caregivers and healthcare team members in oncology settings. METHODS: This is a descriptive qualitative study which was conducted with 21 participants, who were selected by purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed with conventional content analysis method. RESULTS: Two themes of "systematic care" and "caring with paradoxical results" were extracted from the spiritual care experiences of our participants. CONCLUSIONS: Spiritual care as professional, comprehensive, collaborative and artistic care should be provided in a multidisciplinary healthcare team for cancer patients. Otherwise, patients may experience deprivation of spiritual services and consequently, spiritual distress.
PURPOSE: Integrating spirituality into the patient care within a healthcare team, increases the ability to provide "holistic care" for cancer patients. The spiritual care experiences of different involved persons can be a guide for future planning. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the spiritual care experiences of hospitalized cancer patients, their family caregivers and healthcare team members in oncology settings. METHODS: This is a descriptive qualitative study which was conducted with 21 participants, who were selected by purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed with conventional content analysis method. RESULTS: Two themes of "systematic care" and "caring with paradoxical results" were extracted from the spiritual care experiences of our participants. CONCLUSIONS: Spiritual care as professional, comprehensive, collaborative and artistic care should be provided in a multidisciplinary healthcare team for cancer patients. Otherwise, patients may experience deprivation of spiritual services and consequently, spiritual distress.