Perception of the Nursing Staff of an Intensive Care Unit regarding Spirituality and Religiosity

This research aimed to understand the perception of nurses working in an adult intensive care unit regarding spirituality and religiosity. This is an exploratory and qualitative study conducted in a medium-sized hospital of Paraná. Participants were 09 professionals of the nursing staff who work in the ICU. For data collection, a semistructured interview was used. Data were analyzed according to thematic content analysis. The obtained results showed three main categories: spiritual and religious care; influence of spirituality and religiosity on the professional experience with ICU patients; appreciation and respect for the patient’s spirituality and religiosity. From the analysis and discussion of the categories, it was concluded that the assistance offered is guided by the influence of spiritual and religious beliefs of the professionals of the unit, and also by the appreciation of the spirituality and religiosity of patients. Patients should be provided with a comprehensive care, and the practice of spiritual care has to be emphasized, stimulating courage, vitality and energy in the patients as they need to cope with situations of suffering and pain.