Abstract:

Abstract The World Health Organization establishes that care for people facing fatal diseases, in other words, in palliative care (PC) should include the spiritual dimension. This study aimed to highlight multidisciplinary teams’ perception of spiritual/religious issues in palliative care. The research method was mixed, cross-sectional, characterized as descriptive and exploratory. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, composed of 39 closed questions and one open-ended question, and the Centrality of Religiosity Scale. Twenty-five professionals from PC teams collaborated in the study. 94% consider that religiosity cooperates in the treatment and 76% perceive that patients would like to bring religious issues to the treatment. These professionals highlight the need to receive training to address the issues of E/R (96%) and understand the importance of a spiritual caregiver as a team member to provide spiritual assistance on a professional basis. This gap in the formation of healthcare professionals, allied to the need for spiritual assistance of individuals and family members in PC, calls on theology to develop a theoretical and practical reflection that contributes to consistent proposals of spiritual care to be applied in the context of Palliative Care.

Keywords: