ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the essence and meaning of the experience of cancer patients receiving spiritual nursing. METHODS: Data were collected by in-depth individual interviews with participants from April to June, 2019. Eight patients from a single Christian hospital participated in this study. Cyclical data collection and analysis were conducted by Collaizzi's phenomenological method. RESULTS: The experience of cancer patients receiving spiritual nursing consisted of four themes: strange spiritual nursing faced with longing, unexpected changes in me, spiritual sympathy leading to trust, and transition to spiritual recovery. CONCLUSION: This study provided an in-depth understanding of the changes cancer patients experience through spiritual nursing interventions. Efforts should be made to verify the effectiveness of this study by developing and applying education programs that can enhance the spiritual nursing capabilities of nurses to better approach cancer patients.