Religion and Spirituality: the Perspective of Health Professionals / Religião e espiritualidade: um olhar de profissionais de saúde / Religión y espiritualidad: una perspectiva de profesionales de la salud

This study examined how health professionals signify the religiosity and faith of patients under cancer treatment and how they themselves experience such phenomena. This is a qualitative-descriptive study, using the phenomenological framework as set out by Stein and Ales Bello, as a way of understanding the human being in its totality - physical, mental and spiritual. Most professionals report they are spiritualists, two are Catholics, one physician is a Buddhist and another is a Spiritist. They believe that religion is inherent to all human beings. Professionals convicted of their religion (less than half) believe in divine protection and recognize religiosity as a support and comfort for patients and their families in coping with illness. They expect patients to live their faith with prudence, never losing sight of reality.

O estudo teve por objetivos compreender como profissionais de saúde significam religiosidade e fé dos pacientes em tratamento de câncer, e como experienciam esse fenômeno. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa-descritiva, sob o referencial de análise fenomenológica em Stein e Ales Bello, um modo de compreender o ser humano na sua totalidade - física, psíquica e espiritual. A maioria dos profissionais de saúde se diz espiritualista, dois são católicos, um médico se diz budista e uma médica espírita. Acreditam que a religião é inerente a todo ser humano. Os convictos de suas religiões creem na proteção divina e reconhecem a religiosidade como sustento e conforto para o paciente e seus familiares enfrentarem a situação de adoecimento. Eles esperam que esses enfermos vivam a sua fé com prudência e sempre aderindo à realidade.

Este estudio tuvo por objetivo comprender como los profesionales de la salud le dan significado a la religiosidad y a la fe de los pacientes en tratamiento de cáncer, y como ellos experimentan ese fenómeno. Se refiere a una investigación cualitativa-descriptiva, bajo el referencial del análisis fenomenológico de Stein y Ales Bello, un modo de comprender al ser humano en su totalidad - física, psíquica y espiritual. La mayoría de los profesionales de la salud se declaró Espiritualista, dos son Católicos, un médico se dice Budista y una médica Espírita. Creen que la religión es inherente a todo ser humano. Los convictos de sus religiones creen en la protección divina y reconocen la religiosidad como sustento y confort para el paciente y sus familiares, también para que puedan enfrentar la situación de enfermarse. Ellos esperan que esos enfermos vivan su fe con prudencia y siempre adhiriendo a la realidad.

Religion and spirituality: the perspective of health professionals.

This study examined how health professionals signify the religiosity and faith of patients under cancer treatment and how they themselves experience such phenomena. This is a qualitative-descriptive study, using the phenomenological framework as set out by Stein and Ales Bello, as a way of understanding the human being in its totality - physical, mental and spiritual. Most professionals report they are spiritualists, two are Catholics, one physician is a Buddhist and another is a Spiritist. They believe that religion is inherent to all human beings. Professionals convicted of their religion (less than half) believe in divine protection and recognize religiosity as a support and comfort for patients and their families in coping with illness. They expect patients to live their faith with prudence, never losing sight of reality.