Abstract
Objective
: To identify the perception of nurses regarding spiritual care for older patients undergoing palliative care.
Methods
: A descriptive study with a qualitative approach was carried out with 27 care nurses at the Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Brazil, in 2018. The interviews were conducted through a semi-structured script and submitted to content analysis. The discourse structuring for the collective subject technique was applied.
Results
: Five discourses of the collective subject were constructed and grouped into two categories entitled Spiritual Care Provided By Nurses, and Favorable and Unfavorable Factors For the Provision of Spiritual Care For Older Patients. From the central nuclei contained in the reports, the respondents considered spiritual care and family participation in palliative care important. However, they mainly attributed the role of intervening in spirituality to religious volunteers and the family.
Conclusion
: The study shows that despite the difficulties in providing spiritual care, family support, moments of listening and the carrying out of activities that motivate inner peace are significant for an improved response to the spirituality of older patients.
Keywords:
Nursing Care; Palliative Care; Spirituality; Health of the elderly