Spirituality in the continuing education of healthcare professionals: An approach to palliative care.

OBJECTIVE: A major barrier to the adoption of an approach that integrates spirituality into palliative care is the lack of preparation/education of healthcare professionals on the topic. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a continuing education activity for healthcare professionals addressing spirituality and spiritual care provision to patients and families within palliative care. METHOD: We conducted an intervention study using a quantitative pre- and posttest design in a convenience sample of 52 healthcare professionals. Participants completed the Brazilian version of the Spiritual Care Competence Scale before and after attending a four-hour continuing education activity. RESULT: Significant differences were observed between pre- and postintervention scores in the following dimensions: assessment and implementation of spiritual care, professionalization and improving the quality of spiritual care, personal support, and patient counseling (p < 0.001), and referral (p = 0.003). SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The results of this study provide preliminary evidence of a positive effect of this educational intervention on the development of the competences needed by healthcare professionals to deliver a comprehensive approach centered on the patient/family, which includes attention to spirituality and spiritual care in the decision-making process.

Cross-cultural validation of the Brazilian version of the spiritual care competence scale.

OBJECTIVE: This study describes the cross-cultural validation and psychometric evaluation of the Spiritual Care Competence Scale - Brazilian Portuguese version. This reliable and valid instrument is recommended in the literature to measure the outcomes of the education process in the development of spiritual care competences. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional validation study following the stages proposed by Beaton et al.: translation into Portuguese, back translation into English, expert committee review for semantic equivalence, assessment of the clarity of the pre-final version, and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the final version in Portuguese. Health professionals working at a public hospital in South Brazil participated in the different stages of this study.ResultRegarding internal consistency, total Cronbach's alpha was 0.92 and the mean inter-item correlation was 0.29. The test-retest procedure showed no statistically significant differences in the six subscales. The intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.67 to 0.84, demonstrating the stability of the scale.Significance of resultsThe results support the psychometric quality of the scale and indicate that the adapted instrument is a valid and reliable scale with good internal consistency for measuring spiritual care competencies of health professionals in Brazilian healthcare settings.

Spirituality in self-care for intensive care nursing professionals.

This study aimed to understand how spirituality permeates the process of caring for oneself and for others in the intensive care scenario from nursing professionals' point of view. This study used the qualitative approach of Cabral's Creative-Sensitive Method to guide information production and analysis in nine art and experience workshops. Nine nursing caregivers from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a university hospital participated in the study. This article presents one of the topics that emerged during this process: spirituality in self-care, which is evidenced in the daily practices that take place through prayers, close contact with nature, as well as in the sense of connection with a Higher Power that provides peace, welfare, and greater strength to ICU caregivers' life and work. Self-knowledge emerged as an essential practice in caring for oneself, in order to deliver better care to others.

Spirituality in self-care for intensive care nursing professionals / La espiritualidad en el cuidado de si para profesionales de enfermería en terapia intensiva / A espiritualidade no cuidado de si para profissionais de enfermagem em terapia intensiva

This study aimed to understand how spirituality permeates the process of caring for oneself and for others in the intensive care scenario from nursing professionals' point of view. This study used the qualitative approach of Cabral's Creative-Sensitive Method to guide information production and analysis in nine art and experience workshops. Nine nursing caregivers from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a university hospital participated in the study. This article presents one of the topics that emerged during this process: spirituality in self-care, which is evidenced in the daily practices that take place through prayers, close contact with nature, as well as in the sense of connection with a Higher Power that provides peace, welfare, and greater strength to ICU caregivers' life and work. Self-knowledge emerged as an essential practice in caring for oneself, in order to deliver better care to others.

Este estudio tuvo por objetivo comprender como la espiritualidad envuelve al proceso de cuidar de sí mismo y de otros, en el mundo de la terapia intensiva, bajo la perspectiva de los profesionales de enfermería. La investigación se caracterizó por un abordaje cualitativo del método creativo sensible de Cabral, que guió la producción y el análisis de las informaciones en nueve talleres de arte y experiencias. Participaron del estudio nueve cuidadoras de enfermería del Centro de Tratamiento Intensivo (CTI) de un hospital universitario. Este artículo presenta uno de los temas que surgieron en la investigación: la espiritualidad en el cuidado de sí mismo, la que fue evidenciada en las prácticas cotidianas que acontecían por medio de la oración, del contacto íntimo con la naturaleza, así como en el sentimiento de conexión con una Fuerza Superior que propiciaba tranquilidad, bienestar y fortalecía la vida y el trabajo de las cuidadoras en el CTI. El auto conocimiento se reveló como una práctica esencial en el cuidado de sí mismo que contribuía para mejor cuidar de otros.

Este estudo teve por objetivo compreender como a espiritualidade permeia o processo de cuidar de si e do outro, no mundo da terapia intensiva, sob o olhar das profissionais de enfermagem. A pesquisa caracterizou-se por abordagem qualitativa do método criativo-sensível de Cabral, que guiou a produção e a análise das informações em nove oficinas de arte e experiências. Participaram do estudo nove cuidadoras de enfermagem do Centro de Tratamento Intensivo (CTI) de um hospital universitário. Este texto apresenta um dos temas emergidos na pesquisa: a espiritualidade no cuidado de si, que foi evidenciada nas práticas cotidianas que aconteciam por meio da oração, do contato íntimo com a natureza, assim como do senso de conexão com uma Força Superior que propiciava tranqüilidade, bem-estar e fortalecimento à vida e ao trabalho das cuidadoras no CTI. O autoconhecimento revelou-se como prática essencial no cuidado de si para também melhor cuidar do outro.

[The intensive care nurse and care focused on the family: a proposal for sensitivity]. / O enfermeiro de terapia intensiva e o cuidado centrado na família: uma proposta de sensibilização.

The aim of this work was to sensitize the nurses of the an intensive care unit, through continued education, to the importance of planning the care of the critical clients in partnership with them and their families. By doing so we meant to amplify the humanization and to bring Public Health System prerogatives closer to nursing practice. The nurses attended a workshop and from their reports emerged some categories of analysis that at some moments show resistance to modify the present practice and at other moments, the desire to transform the reality they live in, sensitizing them to the thematic.