CE: Assessing and Managing Spiritual Distress in Cancer Survivorship
- 1 January 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in The American Journal of Nursing
- Vol. 120 (1), 40-47
- https://doi.org/10.1097/01.naj.0000652032.51780.56
Abstract
More than 67% of people diagnosed with cancer in the United States are alive five years after receiving the diagnosis; but even if they are cancer free, the effects of the disease and its treatment will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Distress, which can be of a psychological, social, physical, or spiritual nature, is common among cancer survivors. Spiritual distress is a broad concept that is not necessarily associated with any specific religious beliefs, practices, or affiliations. Both religious and nonreligious people may have a strong sense of spirituality and may experience spiritual distress at various points throughout cancer survivorship. But clinicians often neglect to explore the spiritual components of distress, and despite the well-established association between spiritual well-being and quality of life, few of the instruments designed to assess the care needs of cancer survivors address spiritual needs. Through a composite clinical case, this article illustrates how nurses can incorporate into practice evidence-based recommendations for assessing and managing spiritual distress in cancer survivors.Keywords
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