The Experience of Spiritual Well-being from the Perspective of Oncology Nurses: a Qualitative Content Analysis

Background and Spiritual wellbeing as one of the effective factors on human health outcomes has been increasingly considered in recent years. Based on the literature، nurses'' spiritual wellbeing influences their spiritual care. Therefore، this qualitative study aims to explain spiritual wellbeing from the perspective of oncology nurses. Methods and Materials: This qualitative phenomenological study involved 24 oncology nurses as participants from 12 hospitals affiliated to medical universities of Iran، Tehran، and Shahid Beheshti in Tehran، Iran. Data were collected through 20 semi-structured interviews and 2 focus group sessions with efficient age and sex diversity، and were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. In the final step of analysis، 11 themes or main categories emerged: religious belief، Quran and the Hereafter، belief in God، Prophets and Imams، understanding of principles and philosophy of creation، searching for God، whole health، scientific and altruistic nursing، sense of life satisfaction، reaching transcendence، meaning and purpose in life، and inner energy resources. Oncology nurses experienced the spiritual wellbeing as belief in God and the Holy Quran، understanding the mystery of creation and searching for God (religious wellbeing) and attaining health، knowledgeable nursing، life and job satisfaction and finding the meaning and purpose of life (existential wellbeing).