Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2026

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
The essence of spiritual care: a phenomenological enquiry
1Doncaster Royal and Montagu Hospitals NHS Trust, Armthorpe Road, Doncaster. m.c.wright@sheffield.ac.uk
Abstract:
This study used a phenomenological approach, founded on the Husserlian tradition, to discover the spiritual essence of palliative care in the lived experience of stakeholders. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 participants who held a variety of roles linked to palliative care, and were of different religions and none. Amongst these participants, spiritual care is based on the assumption that all people are spiritual beings. It recognizes the relationship between illness and the spiritual domain and acknowledges the possibility of a search for meaning in the big questions of life and death. It responds to religious and humanistic needs by meeting both the requirements of faith and the desire for another human being to 'be there'. Fundamentally, spiritual care seeks to affirm the value of each and every person based on non-judgemental love.
Related Concept Videos
Psychodynamic Therapy
Humanistic Therapy
Patient-centered Care
Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
Nursing Ethical Principles I
Autonomy
Autonomy underscores the significance of a patient's self-determination and freedom from external control. In healthcare, respecting the...