Providing spiritual care in end-stage cardiac failure.
Spiritual care is an integral component of palliative care, whatever a patient's diagnosis. This article looks at spiritual care from the perspective of providing care for patients living with end-stage heart failure. Such patients face many debilitating symptoms and much uncertainty. The issues of how spiritual needs should be addressed, what spiritual care entails, and the most appropriate person to provide spiritual care are examined.
Oates
Lyle
L
Cabrini Health, Melbourne, 646 High Street, Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia. mhagan@optusnet.com.au
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D010327:Pastoral Care / Q000379:methods*; D029181:Spirituality; D035501:Uncertainty