Spirituality in Cancer Care: A Qualitative Study

Spirituality is an important aspect of health care that has been proposed in nursing over the past decades. It is recommended as an inseparable component of holistic nursing. This study aims to explore the nurses’ and patients’ perception of spirituality in cancer care.

In a conventional qualitative content analysis، data was collected through purposive sampling by semi-structured deep interviews with 17 participants (10 patients and 7 nurses) in oncology units of hospitals in Tabriz، and was analyzed simultaneously. Robustness of data analysis was evaluated by the participants and external control.

The emergent main theme was the «spirituality raising interactions». This theme consisted of three sub-themes of «spiritual elevation in cancer care»، «spiritual care barriers»، and «religion-based strategies». Patients with cancer understand cancer as an opportunity for belief correction، closeness to God، and awareness of death as reincarnation. Nurses had poor skills in assessing and responding to patients'' spiritual needs and there were no support from organizations and clergymen for them in addressing spiritual distress of patients. However، they were a source of energy، joy، hope، and power for patients through their empathy، compassion، and openness. Patients and nurses used strategies based on religious beliefs for strengthening their spiritual dimension.

Spiritual care requires a patient-centered approach in communication. Communication in which the religious and spiritual beliefs of patients are considered as a valuable source of spiritual coping، and which gives them the feeling of empathy، trust، passion، and joy. For reduction of barriers، the integration of spiritual care issues in the curriculum of nursing and service training programs is recommended. Care environment must be changed for religious practices and spiritual advisors and clergymen should help patients and nurses in coping with spiritual distress.