Faith and Care: Insights from Christian Family Caregivers on Spiritual Support in Palliative Care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31436/ijcs.v8i1.419Keywords:
Spiritual care, Family caregivers, Palliative care, Qualitative research, Muslim nursesAbstract
Background: Spiritual care is a crucial component of palliative care, contributing to patients' quality of life and offering emotional and spiritual support. Despite its significance, spiritual care remains underexplored, particularly from the perspectives of family caregivers. This study investigates Christian family caregivers' understanding, roles, and challenges in providing spiritual care to palliative patients, emphasising implications for healthcare professionals, including Muslim nurses. The objective of this study is to explore Christian family caregivers’ perspectives on spiritual care, their roles in delivering spiritual support, and the challenges they face in palliative care settings, providing insights to improve healthcare practices.
Methods: A qualitative research design was employed to capture the lived experiences of ten Christian family caregivers recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in Kuantan, Pahang over three months. Deductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, ensuring credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability throughout the research process.
Results: Three themes emerged from the study: a) Understanding Spiritual Care: Participants associated spiritual care with religious practices such as prayer and emotional support, highlighting its role in providing hope and fostering peace. b) Role of Family Caregivers: Caregivers facilitated spiritual practices, provided emotional support, and shared caregiving responsibilities to enhance the patient’s well-being. c) Challenges in Delivering Spiritual Care: Emotional burdens, limited access to spiritual resources, and patients’ unstable emotions posed significant barriers to effective caregiving.
Conclusion: The study highlights Christian family caregivers' multifaceted roles and challenges in delivering spiritual care. For healthcare professionals, particularly Muslim nurses, these findings offer critical insights into culturally and religiously sensitive caregiving practices. Addressing patients' spiritual needs fosters trust, enhances care quality, and aligns with Islamic values of compassion and holistic well-being. Future research should focus on developing practical strategies to support family caregivers and improve the integration of spiritual care into palliative care.
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