Men of Prayer: Spirituality of Men With Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Spirituality plays a powerful role in cancer treatment and recovery; it has been identified by hospitalized patients as one of their top priorities of care. However, health care providers struggle to find ways to address the spirituality of their patients. The purposes of this study were to discover what spirituality means for men with prostate cancer and how it influences their treatment. Eleven men, ages 54 to 71, with prostate cancer were interviewed within several days following radical prostatectomy with bilateral lymph node staging. This grounded theory methodology generated three categories of spirituality: (a) praying, (b) receiving support, and (c) coping with cancer. The basic social process, coping with cancer, occurred in four phases: facing cancer, choosing treatment, trusting, and living day by day. These results were validated by four of the participants for truthfulness. The findings of this study provide holistic nurses with knowledge and a midrange theory of spirituality that can be used in building a research-based practice.

Ethnicity and spirituality in breast cancer survivors

“…Past research with cancer survivors have used the grounded theory approach to study spirituality [54,55]. Grounded theory is a systematic methodology that builds theory from data, rather than beginning the research process with clearly articulated hypotheses to prove [51].…”

Reflecting on spirituality in the context of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment

“…These journeys illustrated comforting, as well as painful aspects. Cancer may provide an opportunity for spiritual growthregardless of prior spiritual or religious beliefs (Baldacchino & Draper, 2001;Walton & Sullivan, 2004).…”

Role of spirituality in cancer coping among African Americans: a qualitative examination

“…Findings analyzed within the context of meaning making indicated that participants viewed spirituality and religion as helping them to have a spiritual surrender, accept reality, grow as people, see their purpose and destiny, overcome limitations, learn life lessons, build character and act in accord with their moral values, and trust in a higher power. In a similar qualitative investigation, Walton and Sullivan [19] identified three spiritual themes among men coping with prostate cancer: prayer, coping with cancer and support.…”