Spiritual care by nurses in curative oncology: a mixed-method study on patients' perspectives and experiences.
Anne Ebenau, Marieke Groot, Anja Visser and 3 others
PMID 31095760WHAT IT FOUND
Most curative cancer patients rarely discussed spiritual themes with nurses, yet found limited conversations sufficient.
Nurses often acted reactively, noticing distress and referring on. Some patients, especially younger or less spiritual, wanted more.
Key findings
01Most patients had rarely or never discussed spiritual themes with nurses, and most considered those discussions sufficient.
02Patients reported that nurses seldom asked open questions about spirituality, but in specific situations offered or referred to psychologists, social workers, or other support.
03Patients who found spiritual conversations insufficient had worse overall quality of life and emotional and physical functioning.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The quantitative sample was 62 patients, small for testing associations, and some categories were combined because cells were small. The sample was mostly women with breast cancer, so it may not show the perspectives of men, other cancers, or patients earlier in treatment. Patients were recruited at the end of curative chemotherapy, so experiences during treatment may not have been captured. Forty-three potential respondents refused participation, and reasons were not asked. The study was in the Netherlands, where participants were often not religious or spiritual, so findings may not fit more religious settings. Some patients found spirituality difficult to define and linked it to religion, psychological care, or alternative medicine. No member check was done with patients to confirm the qualitative interpretation.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was supported by the Dutch Cancer Society / Alpe d'Huzes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the finding that most patients considered spiritual care a nursing task as a request for nurses to lead extensive spiritual conversations. Most patients rarely discussed such themes, judged limited attention sufficient, and sought support elsewhere.