The sense of spiritual care in the integrality of attention in palliative care

ABSTRACT

Objective  To understand the sense of the spiritual care for the integrality of attention to the person and to the interdisciplinary team of palliative care.

Methods  Qualitative research with theoretical framework according to Viktor Frankl theory. Participants were nine people in palliative care and six professionals from the Interdisciplinary Home Health Care Program who attended these people. Information was collected at the participants’ domicile, through observation, and phenomenological interviews that were conducted in the period from June to October 2014, recorded, transcribed and turned into interpreted text with a hermeneutical phenomenological approach.

Results  The following categories emerged: The sense of integrality of care and The sense of spirituality for professionals who care for people in palliative care, with their subcategories.

Conclusion  The spiritual care provides comfort and the existential encounter between the person in palliative care and professional staff that take care of the person.

Spirituality; Palliative care; Terminal patient; Nursing; Integrality in health