Spirituality among family caregivers in palliative care: an integrative literature review

Abstract

Nurses are encouraged to explore the spirituality and spiritual experiences of family caregivers to support their spiritual wellbeing while caring for their terminally ill family members.

Patients' and Caregivers' Contested Perspectives on Spiritual Care for Those Affected by Advanced Illnesses: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

“…… (and) with just having some of the areas you know, in and around the garden even to sit, be quiet with your own thoughts. (8) I found that follow up phone call 1 quite good in the sense that, you know, you go through, it's quite a stressful thing that you go through with the hospital, and when, when you walk out the door after the patient has passed there's sort of, that's the end and it's quite nice to, I found it quite nice that there was that follow up phone call. (10) When the kids were sitting in the lounge room and so on you never get that sense.…”

“…4,5 Attending to spiritual or religious needs may ameliorate suffering and console many as illness impacts and the afflicted seek life's meaning and purpose. [7][8][9] Patients and informal caregivers report wide-ranging spiritual concerns spanning existential, psychological, religious, and social domains, 10 and seek support from specialist and non-specialist health-workers. [11][12][13][14] Up to 85% of cancer patients reported at least one spiritual concern 2 and such concerns have been associated with poorer quality of life.…”

“…[11][12][13][14] Up to 85% of cancer patients reported at least one spiritual concern 2 and such concerns have been associated with poorer quality of life. 12 Nonetheless, spiritual support improves coping 8 , care satisfaction, 15 quality of life, 15,16 and hospice utilisation. 17 In an international focus group study, patients and caregivers reported diverse spiritual care definitions, from religious support to any care beyond physical needs; human connection with staff was considered essential.…”

Meanings and Interpretations of Spirituality in Nursing and Health

“…Walton (1996) argues that the depth or intimacy of the relationship is directly related to the individual's personal knowledge of self or soul-searching. Evidence suggests that a strong sense of connectedness brings faith, hope, and peace, and promotes personal growth, wellbeing, and empowerment (Markani et al 2013;Lalani et al 2018).…”

“…Pesut (2008) argues that spirituality is a personal construct and encompasses a broad belief system therefore, using a generic approach to understand spirituality may cause ambiguity and confusion. Most spiritual assessment tools, models, and spiritual care guidelines are developed in the west and therefore are not necessarily applicable in the other contexts (Lalani et al 2018). It is therefore critical to understand and analyse the concept of spirituality from various perspectives for its better application in education and practice settings.…”