The free spirit: spiritualism meanings by a Nursing team on psychiatry.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the meanings attributed by nursing professionals in psychiatry to spirituality and its relationship with care. METHOD: Clinical-qualitative, with appreciation of symbolic meanings. We interviewed 18 individuals for a semi-structured script of open questions and the data were analyzed in the light of psychoanalytic hermeneutics. The discussion was undertaken with the overlap of understanding of the sacred symbol, psychological and the meaning of life. RESULTS: Different spiritualities are interposed by personal restlessness and the experience of transience. Spirituality aids in social functions, personal balance and commitment to endure the anguish of transience. Among professionals, it has been shown as an ethical-combative attitude to evil forms, but there is a restriction in dealing with patients' spirituality. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The meanings pointed to the limits of human reason, resembling caregivers and patients in subjective conditions by which they avoid spirituality in psychiatry. It is suggested that spiritual attention be given to professionals.