Abstract
Objectives
to investigate the understanding of nursing assistants on spirituality; to analyze the spiritual care provided by nurses to the mother of a baby with a malformation in the light of Watson’s Theory.
Method
this was a qualitative approach implementing semi-structured interviews with eleven nurses from a reference maternity hospital in the city of João Pessoa (Paraíba State, northeastern Brazil). Data were analyzed using the content analysis technique proposed by Bardin.
Results
two categories emerged: the nurses’ understanding of spirituality and spiritual care and the spiritual care provided by the nurses to the mothers of malformed babies from the perspective of Watson’s theory. The professionals empirically use elements of the Caritas-Veritas Clinical Process.
Conclusion and implications for the practice
the nurses understand spirituality as something that guides and brings meaning to life, whether or not it is linked to religious practice. They recognize that the spiritual care provided to the mothers of malformed babies helps them cope with the problem.
Keywords:
Congenital anomaly; Nursing care; Nurses; Spirituality; Nursing Theory