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Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem Jun 2016to analyze scientifi c articles published in international online journals about palliative care and spirituality. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
to analyze scientifi c articles published in international online journals about palliative care and spirituality.
METHODS
an integrative literature review with data collected in September 2014 from the LILACS, SCIELO, MEDLINE/PubMed, and IBECS databases.
RESULTS
thirty-nine publications were identifi ed and their textual analysis facilitated through four thematic approaches: the meaning of spirituality in the context of palliative care; palliative care and spiritual support; spirituality and relief of pain and other symptoms in patients under palliative care; and instruments to evaluate the spiritual dimension of the scope of palliative care.
CONCLUSION
this study examined the relevance of the spiritual dimension in the care of patients with palliative care and the need for developing new studies to disseminate knowledge about this topic.
DESCRIPTORS
Palliative Care; Palliative Care at End of Live; Spirituality; Religion; Health.
Topics: Humans; Palliative Care; Spiritual Therapies; Spirituality
PubMed: 27355311
DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167.2016690324i -
CA: a Cancer Journal For Clinicians 2013Despite the difficulty in clearly defining and measuring spirituality, a growing literature describes its importance in oncology and survivorship. Religious/spiritual... (Review)
Review
Despite the difficulty in clearly defining and measuring spirituality, a growing literature describes its importance in oncology and survivorship. Religious/spiritual beliefs influence patients' decision-making with respect to both complementary therapies and aggressive care at the end of life. Measures of spirituality and spiritual well-being correlate with quality of life in cancer patients, cancer survivors, and caregivers. Spiritual needs, reflective of existential concerns in several domains, are a source of significant distress, and care for these needs has been correlated with better psychological and spiritual adjustment as well as with less aggressive care at the end of life. Studies show that while clinicians such as nurses and physicians regard some spiritual care as an appropriate aspect of their role, patients report that they provide it infrequently. Many clinicians report that their religious/spiritual beliefs influence their practice, and practices such as mindfulness have been shown to enhance clinician self-care and equanimity. Challenges remain in the areas of conceptualizing and measuring spirituality, developing and implementing training for spiritual care, and coordinating and partnering with chaplains and religious communities.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Caregivers; Decision Making; Humans; Neoplasms; Physician-Patient Relations; Psychotherapy; Quality of Life; Religion; Self Concept; Spiritual Therapies; Spirituality; Survivors
PubMed: 23625473
DOI: 10.3322/caac.21187 -
Annals of Palliative Medicine Jul 2017Spirituality plays a prominent role in the lives of most palliative patients whether or not they formally adhere to a specific religion and belief. As a result, the... (Review)
Review
Spirituality plays a prominent role in the lives of most palliative patients whether or not they formally adhere to a specific religion and belief. As a result, the palliative care team is frequently called upon to support families who are experiencing their "dark night of the soul" and struggling to make sense of their lives during a healthcare crisis. While conventional religious practices provide a source of comfort and guidance for many of our patients, a significant number of our patients do not have a strong religious community to which to turn. Over the last two decades, more people in Western countries identify themselves as spiritual but not religious and do not belong to an organized faith community. For those patients who express a strong spiritual connection or sense of 'something greater' or 'a higher power', encouraging the exploration of those feelings and beliefs through chaplains, clergypersons, or members of the interdisciplinary palliative care team can help provide context, meaning and purpose in their lives impacted by serious illness. One of the goals of effective palliative care is the facilitation of personal growth and psychological resilience in dealing with one's health challenges. Integrative medicine, also referred to as complementary and alternative medicine, provides a set of tools and philosophies intended to enhance wellness and a sense of wellbeing. Many of the modalities are derived from disciplines such as massage, acupuncture, Rei Ki, aromatherapy, and dietary supplements. The use of integrative medicine in North America is widespread and frequently not shared with one's clinician due to many patients' concerns that clinicians will disapprove of the patient's use of them. In addition to its efficacy in reducing symptoms commonly experienced by patients receiving palliative care (e.g., nausea, pain, depression, and existential suffering), integrative medicine offers non-verbal, non-cognitive avenues for many to achieve a peaceful and calm inner state. The calm state often achieved during integrative medicine treatments is similar to that seen during deep prayer or meditation. In such a transcendent or non-ordinary state of consciousness, many people experience new insights or understanding of their lives and choices they must make. Thus, integrative approaches facilitate patients attaining greater self-awareness and may meet their spiritual needs without the religious overtones that accompany traditional prayer. In so doing, patients may gain greater insight and find inner peace through simple, non-verbal approaches.
Topics: Chronic Disease; Humans; Integrative Medicine; Palliative Care; Spirituality
PubMed: 28595441
DOI: 10.21037/apm.2017.05.01 -
Anaesthesiology Intensive Therapy 2021The aim of the present paper is to describe the real possibilities of providing spiritual care in intensive care units (ICUs) in Poland. Faced with suffering and death,... (Review)
Review
The aim of the present paper is to describe the real possibilities of providing spiritual care in intensive care units (ICUs) in Poland. Faced with suffering and death, critically ill patients and their families need a source of comfort and hope. Spiritual care is intended to bring relief to them by responding to their spiritual needs. The literature review indicates the positive effects of providing spiritual care in ICUs. Spiritual care improves the quality of life of patients, satisfaction with medical care and even prevents or alleviates the negative psychological consequences of hospitalization. Moreover, it is beneficial to the ICU personnel, to their motivation, work efficiency, well-being and reduces the risk of burnout. Basic spiritual care that can be provided by any ICU physician on a daily basis is nothing more than the way of behaving towards a patient: seeing an individual who has his/her dignity, history, personality, beliefs, fears and hopes. Whenever disease-associated stress has led to an existential crisis, the ICU staff may request a hospital chaplain's visit. The physician can support the conscious patient by establishing a relationship with him: by showing concern, compassion and solicituide. According to some researchers, each patient admitted to the ICU should be asked questions about spiritual issues. If faith is important to the patient, it is necessary to allow him/her to use religious resources, which requires cooperation with a hospital chaplain. The paper discusses the ways the hospital chaplaincy operates in Poland and worldwide. Furthermore, the education of chaplains abroad and the scope of their tasks and activities are described.
Topics: Clergy; Female; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Male; Quality of Life; Spiritual Therapies; Spirituality
PubMed: 34714016
DOI: 10.5114/ait.2021.109920 -
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management Sep 2019Many of our experiences in hospice and palliative care medicine are challenging. We support dying patients and their families as they struggle with the transition from...
Many of our experiences in hospice and palliative care medicine are challenging. We support dying patients and their families as they struggle with the transition from life to death and continue to support those in mourning. Many times, in America, it is difficult to even appreciate a glimmer of spiritual grace as our patients die. We easily remain stuck in the material and distance ourselves from the spiritual. Some exits are quite graceful, however. I present the case of an exceptional person, who enjoyed an exceptional life and had an exceptionally graceful dying process and death, in hopes that his story may encourage other healers as much as he inspired me. Bruno was a composer and cognitive musicologist, whose art forms of light and music simultaneously move and challenge virtually all the people and other artists he interfaced with and taught, including his talented wife and family, his friends, his acquaintances, his students, his colleagues, and his deans. He embodied theories as diverse as mathematical strange loops, continually paradoxical/recursive illusory art, contrapuntal fugues, and artificial intelligence. Bruno's spirituality was uncommonly profound. It spanned and interconnected many eclectic faith traditions, theologies, and philosophies, including Taoism, Greek mythology, distributed cognition, mathematics, and Tibetan Buddhism. It resonated strongly with Zen and Christian mysticism. Some of Bruno's being and transformation to nonbeing was obvious; some of it was inscrutable.
Topics: Christianity; Hospice Care; Humans; Male; Spirituality
PubMed: 30472314
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.11.013 -
Nursing Forum Nov 2022Spirituality is a dimension of life and the human being that should be included in holistic healthcare. One major barrier often described by nurses on implementing... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Spirituality is a dimension of life and the human being that should be included in holistic healthcare. One major barrier often described by nurses on implementing spirituality in practice relates to perceiving the concept of spirituality as subjective and sharing confounding similarities with other concepts. In this sense, the concepts of spiritual comfort, spiritual care, and spiritual support may require more distinct theoretical definitions aimed at clear and effective nursing interventions within spiritual care.
AIM
To provide a definition of spiritual comfort, spiritual support, and spiritual care.
METHODS
Simultaneous concept analysis (SCA) of three concepts according to Haase et al., which is grounded on Rodgers' evolutionary view. The method was based on a literature review with the search of electronic databases on May 2020. Search and analysis have been blinded conducted by two reviewers.
RESULTS
One hundred thirty-six studies were included in the SCA. Findings suggest that spiritual comfort is an immediate state and an outcome. Spiritual support is related with an intimate and positive relationship with God. Spiritual care is defined as a complex and interactive process. Both spiritual support and spiritual care are grounded in a therapeutic context.
CONCLUSION
This SCA allowed the attributes of each concept to be identified and provides definitions that may facilitate the understanding of these concepts and promote the implementation of spirituality in nursing practice, but which has also led to future research on this topic.
Topics: Humans; Spirituality; Spiritual Therapies
PubMed: 36448491
DOI: 10.1111/nuf.12845 -
Praxis Nov 2021Digital Palliative Care Palliative care is becoming more and more digital. This article illuminates how digital approaches can help identify patients who qualify for...
Digital Palliative Care Palliative care is becoming more and more digital. This article illuminates how digital approaches can help identify patients who qualify for palliative care offers and who wish to make use of them. Digital approaches can be used to monitor patients through apps and wearables, but digital methods are also becoming more important in psychosocial and spiritual support. One case demonstrates the therapeutic use of virtual reality. Work organization is digital, and teaching has also become digital during the corona crisis. In spite of all the advantages, however, the potential risks of digitization must also be considered.
Topics: Humans; Mobile Applications; Palliative Care; Spirituality; Telemedicine; Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; Wearable Electronic Devices
PubMed: 34814718
DOI: 10.1024/1661-8157/a003784 -
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and... Aug 2022
Topics: Attitude of Health Personnel; Clinical Competence; Humans; Nurses; Nursing Staff, Hospital; Spirituality; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35917245
DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20220705-01 -
JACC. Heart Failure Apr 2022With advances in heart failure (HF) treatment, patients are living longer, putting further emphasis on quality of life (QOL) and the role of palliative care principles... (Review)
Review
With advances in heart failure (HF) treatment, patients are living longer, putting further emphasis on quality of life (QOL) and the role of palliative care principles in their care. Spirituality is a core domain of palliative care, best defined as a dynamic, multidimensional aspect of oneself for which 1 dimension is that of finding meaning and purpose. There are substantial data describing the role of spirituality in patients with cancer but a relative paucity of studies in HF. In this review article, we explore the current knowledge of spirituality in patients with HF; describe associations among spirituality, QOL, and HF outcomes; and propose clinical applications and future directions regarding spiritual care in this population. Studies suggest that spirituality serves as a potential target for palliative care interventions to improve QOL, caregiver support, and patient outcomes including rehospitalization and mortality. We suggest the development of a spirituality-screening tool, similar to the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 used to screen for depression, to identify patients with HF at risk for spiritual distress. Novel tools are soon to be validated by members of our group. Given spirituality in HF remains less well studied compared with other patient populations, further controlled trials and uniform measures of spirituality are needed to understand its impact better.
Topics: Heart Failure; Humans; Palliative Care; Quality of Life; Spiritual Therapies; Spirituality
PubMed: 35361439
DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2022.01.014 -
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management Nov 2018Thought leaders in palliative care have long recognized the spiritual implications of illness, including Dame Cicely Saunders' groundbreaking concept of suffering as... (Review)
Review
Thought leaders in palliative care have long recognized the spiritual implications of illness, including Dame Cicely Saunders' groundbreaking concept of suffering as comprising physical, emotional, social, and spiritual sources of pain. However, despite such recognition, spirituality remains an oft-neglected component of the biopsychosocial spiritual model of caregiving in serious illness. We aim in this article to highlight, through an in-depth account of patients' experiences and attitudes, the concept of illness as a spiritual event.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Critical Illness; Humans; Palliative Care; Religion and Medicine; Spirituality
PubMed: 29857181
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.05.018