‘I would if I could’: how oncologists and oncology nurses address spiritual distress in cancer patients

Kristeller, Jean L.; Zumbrun, Collette Sheedy; Schilling, Robert F.

doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-1611(199909/10)8:5<451::aid-pon422>3.0.co;2-3

Cited by 117 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The issue of nurses’ role uncertainty in spiritual care of cancer patients has been found previously [49], and there is evidence that nurses caring for neuro-oncology patients do not believe spiritual care is part of their role [29]. Nurses may not want responsibility for spiritual care, not because they don’t perceive it as important but because spirituality is not seen as a priority in the healthcare system within which they work.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An investigation into the spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients from a nurse perspective

2013

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BackgroundSpiritual needs of cancer patients should be assessed and discussed by healthcare professionals. Neurosurgical nurses need to be able to assess and support neuro-oncology patients with their spiritual needs from diagnosis and throughout their hospital stay.MethodsData were collected through questionnaires using a Critical Incident Technique (CIT) from neurosurgical nurses, findings were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsNurses reported some awareness of their patients’ spiritual needs during their stay on neurosurgical units although some used expressions approximating what could be described as spiritual needs. Patients’ spiritual needs were identified as: need to talk about spiritual concerns, showing sensitivity to patients’ emotions, responding to religious needs; and relatives’ spiritual needs included: supporting them with end of life decisions, supporting them when feeling being lost and unbalanced, encouraging exploration of meaning of life, and providing space, time and privacy to talk. Participants appeared largely to be in tune with their patients’ spiritual needs and reported that they recognised effective strategies to meet their patients’ and relatives’ spiritual needs. However, the findings also suggest that they don’t always feel prepared to offer spiritual support for neuro-oncology patients.ConclusionsThere is a need for healthcare professionals to provide spiritual care for neuro-oncology patients and their relatives. Although strategies were identified that nurses can use to support patients with spiritual needs further research is required to explore how effective nurses are at delivering spiritual care and if nurses are the most appropriate professionals to support neuro-oncology patients with spiritual care.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An investigation into the spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients from a nurse perspective

2013

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“…Nurses also report lack of time, confidence, or comfort to explore these issues with patients. 56 According to a relevant qualitative study 57 members of palliative care teams who are more involved with spiritually related activities reported that they helped not only the patients, but also palliative care team members to form bonds with each other, patients and patients’ families and search for meaning and hope in illness and suffering. 57…”

Section: Are Hcps Educated About Spirituality?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing spirituality: is there a beneficial role in the management of COPD?

Gergianaki

Kampouraki²,

Williams³

et al. 2019

npj Prim. Care Respir. Med.

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Here,we report on the role of spirituality assessment in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although a positive effect of addressing spirituality in health care has been proved in a number of chronic diseases, its potential in COPD has received less attention. Although limited, available evidence suggests that spirituality may play an important role in improving quality of life of patients with COPD. The fruitful results in other long-term conditions may lay the foundation for further research on addressing spirituality in COPD. This should focus where the burden of COPD is greatest, including low-resource settings globally. Implementation research should include exploration of an acceptable consultation process to identify patients who would welcome spiritual discussions; how to integrate spiritual approaches into health care professional curricula so that they are aware of its importance and have the confidence to raise it with patients and how to integrate spiritual approaches into holistic COPD care.

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“…Yet despite evidence of spiritual needs and the stipulations of international policy guidance [7]– [9], patients’ spiritual needs are poorly assessed and met [10]– [12]. There is evidence from North America that neglect of spiritual needs is associated with reduced quality of life and satisfaction with care [13,14] and increased healthcare costs at the end of life [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Peace’ and ‘life worthwhile’ as measures of spiritual well-being in African palliative care: a mixed-methods study

Selman

Speck

Gysels

et al. 2013

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

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BackgroundPatients with incurable, progressive disease receiving palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa experience high levels of spiritual distress with a detrimental impact on their quality of life. Locally validated measurement tools are needed to identify patients’ spiritual needs and evaluate and improve spiritual care, but up to now such tools have been lacking in Africa. The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) African Palliative Outcome Scale (POS) contains two items relating to peace and life worthwhile. We aimed to determine the content and construct validity of these items as measures of spiritual wellbeing in African palliative care populations.MethodsThe study was conducted at five palliative care services, four in South Africa and one in Uganda. The mixed-methods study design involved: (1) cognitive interviews with 72 patients, analysed thematically to explore the items’ content validity, and (2) quantitative data collection (n = 285 patients) using the POS and the Spirit 8 to assess construct validity.Results(1) Peace was interpreted according to the themes ‘perception of self and world’, ‘relationship to others’, ‘spiritual beliefs’ and ‘health and healthcare’. Life worthwhile was interpreted in relation to ‘perception of self and world’, ‘relationship to others’ and ‘identity’. (2) Conceptual convergence and divergence were also evident in the quantitative data: there was moderate correlation between peace and Spirit 8 spiritual well-being (r = 0.46), but little correlation between life worthwhile and Spirit 8 spiritual well-being (r = 0.18) (both p < 0.001). Correlations with Spirit 8 items were weak to moderate.ConclusionsFindings demonstrate the utility of POS items peace and life worthwhile as distinct but related measures of spiritual well-being in African palliative care. Peace and life worthwhile are brief and simple enough to be integrated into routine practice and can be used to measure this important but neglected outcome in this population.

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‘I would if I could’: how oncologists and oncology nurses address spiritual distress in cancer patients

Cited by 117 publications

References 7 publications

An investigation into the spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients from a nurse perspective

An investigation into the spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients from a nurse perspective

Assessing spirituality: is there a beneficial role in the management of COPD?

‘Peace’ and ‘life worthwhile’ as measures of spiritual well-being in African palliative care: a mixed-methods study

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