Abstract
Objective:
This study aimed to comprehend the meaning of the spirituality for integral care to people receiving palliative care.
Methods:
Qualitative methodology based on the theoretical framework of Viktor Frankl. Participants were nine people receiving palliative care at home. Data were collected through observation and interviews conducted from June to October 2014, recorded, transcribed and converted to text that was interpreted with phenomenological hermeneutic approach.
Results:
The following categories emerged: sense of continuity of life; sense of relief of suffering; sense of naturalness of death, and sense of valorization of life.
Conclusion:
For integral care it is necessary to include spirituality in the practice of health care. The study led to the confirmation of the hypothesis that spirituality provides the existential encounter between the person in palliative care and the professionals that provide integral care.
Keywords:
Spirituality; Palliative care; Terminal patient; Nursing; Integrality in Health