The nurse's spirit: The lived experience of spirituality for nurses who work in palliative care settings

Purpose: To examine the lived experience of spirituality in Hospice Palliative Care Nurses (HPCN) Significance: Contribute to the overall definition of spirituality from nurses' perspectives. Methods: Existential Phenomenology using the approach developed by Thomas & Pollio (2002); six participants engaged in a one hour interview and reported their perceptions about spirituality. Results: Three common themes were identified by the participants when defining spirituality; 1) strength 2) spirituality as being different from organized religion and 3) spirituality gives meaning and purpose in life. Six global themes were also identified: 1) professional self, 2) reflective self, 3) the nurse's relationship with god, 4) the patient/family journey and the nurse's role, 5) time in the profession of hospice palliative care, 6) being present. Conclusions: Results of this study can inform nursing curricula and positively influence nursing practice by increasing our understanding of the perception of spirituality in hospice/palliative care nurses.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.Sc.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nursing

Grantor

University of Windsor

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Rajaratnam, Jayne

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Linda Patrick
• Sharon McMahon

Contributors dc:contributor

• olsenc@uwindsor.ca

Licence

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_CA

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14776/8886

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwindsor.scholaris.ca:20.500.14776/8886