TY - JOUR
T1 - The spirit of palliative practice
T2 - A qualitative inquiry into the spiritual journey of palliative care physicians
AU - Penderell, A.
AU - Brazil, K.
N1 - Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2010/12/1
Y1 - 2010/12/1
N2 - Objective: Much is known about the important role of spirituality in the delivery of multidimensional care for patients at the end of life. Establishing a strong physician-patient relationship in a palliative context requires physicians to have the self-awareness essential to establishing shared meaning and relationships with their patients. However, little is known about this phenomenon and therefore, this study seeks a greater understanding of physician spirituality and how caring for the terminally ill influences this inner aspect. Method: A qualitative descriptive study was used involving face-to-face interviews with six practicing palliative care physicians. Results: Conceptualized as a separate entity from religion, spirituality was described by participants as a notion relating to meaning, personal discovery, self-reflection, support, connectedness, and guidance. Spirituality and the delivery of care for the terminally ill appeared to be interrelated in a dynamic relationship where a physician's spiritual growth occurred as a result of patient interaction and that spiritual growth, in turn, was essential for providing compassionate care for the palliative patient. Spirituality also served as an influential force for physicians to engage in self-care practices. Significance of results: With spirituality as a pervasive force not only in the lives of palliative care patients, but also in those of healthcare providers, it may prove to be beneficial to use this information to guide future practice in training and education for palliative physicians in both the spiritual care of patients and in practitioner self care.
AB - Objective: Much is known about the important role of spirituality in the delivery of multidimensional care for patients at the end of life. Establishing a strong physician-patient relationship in a palliative context requires physicians to have the self-awareness essential to establishing shared meaning and relationships with their patients. However, little is known about this phenomenon and therefore, this study seeks a greater understanding of physician spirituality and how caring for the terminally ill influences this inner aspect. Method: A qualitative descriptive study was used involving face-to-face interviews with six practicing palliative care physicians. Results: Conceptualized as a separate entity from religion, spirituality was described by participants as a notion relating to meaning, personal discovery, self-reflection, support, connectedness, and guidance. Spirituality and the delivery of care for the terminally ill appeared to be interrelated in a dynamic relationship where a physician's spiritual growth occurred as a result of patient interaction and that spiritual growth, in turn, was essential for providing compassionate care for the palliative patient. Spirituality also served as an influential force for physicians to engage in self-care practices. Significance of results: With spirituality as a pervasive force not only in the lives of palliative care patients, but also in those of healthcare providers, it may prove to be beneficial to use this information to guide future practice in training and education for palliative physicians in both the spiritual care of patients and in practitioner self care.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=yv4JPVwI&eid=2-s2.0-79952200847&md5=a145e6c8d6bd41ecf1f1ba8c69172506
U2 - 10.1017/S1478951510000271
DO - 10.1017/S1478951510000271
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79952200847
SN - 1478-9515
VL - 8
SP - 415
EP - 420
JO - Palliative and Supportive Care
JF - Palliative and Supportive Care
IS - 4
ER -