Spirituality - The Essence of Cancer Care

Chapter 11: Spirituality - The Essence of Cancer Care 

Overview:

• Defines and introduces the notion of ‘spirituality’
• Nurses guide to help their patient search for meaning
• Explanation of hope and how this leads to creating a will to live
• The importance and need for faith is discussed
• Suggestions for spiritual care are provided
• Case studies and patient examples are given to aid explanations

Description:

This chapter emphasises the appreciation of the role of spirituality and its practical application within the clinical domain. Ample evidence is given and referenced to support the claim that meeting a cancer patient’s spiritual needs can also diminish the severity of their symptoms, thus reducing the need for prescribed therapies. It also guides nurses on the importance of spirituality for themselves as well as their patients.

Topics:

• What is spirituality?
• Search for meaning
• The will to live
• Need for faith
• Suggestions for spiritual care
• References

Speaker / Author:

Tony Bush
Master of Primary Health Care, Bachelor of Applied Science, Diploma of Applied Science, Registered Psychiatric Nurse, Registered Nurse, Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, Australia. Coordinator of a postgraduate course in cancer/palliative care nursing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Bundoora Campus).

Tony has worked in a number of countries and states in numerous clinical roles. He became aware that spirituality is a common feature of all persons regardless of background, but found it especially evident in people requiring oncological and palliative care. In more recent years, since completing post-graduate studies in palliative care, Tony has developed a model of spiritual care for use in a professional and a personal capacity. This appreciation of existential aspects has reaffirmed his belief that spiritual care really does have a place in the care of people with cancer and that any exploration of such matters will encourage the carer to undertake a personal journey of reflection, not just in their capacity as a nurse, but also in their role as a person. Tony currently coordinates a post-graduate course in palliative care in which students are introduced to the topic of spirituality. This is a very popular aspect of the course and has resulted in Tony’s examining the various methods of facilitating students’ exploration of spiritual concerns.

Professional Reviews: