How do health professionals provide spiritual care to seriously ill children?

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examines how health professionals working in paediatrics understand and practice spiritual care. Semi-structured interviews were held with six paediatric health professionals. Domains of interest were understanding spiritual care, training in spiritual care and culture in spiritual care. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach was used. The study findings revealed that health professionals held various views on what spiritual care consisted of. Spiritual care of children was seen to be different to that of adults, an understanding of child development and a family’s culture was considered essential. As this study was New Zealand based, the inclusion of Māori Tikanga (traditional practices) were considered to enhance spiritual care. Participants stated there was a lack of training available in the spiritual care of children. Education and opportunities for peer and self-reflection would support health professionals to develop an awareness of their own views on spiritual care and enhance their practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Spirituality
• child health
• palliative care
• New Zealand

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Cancer Research Trust New Zealand (grant code GOT-1723-PDA) and True Colours Children’s Health Trust New Zealand.

Notes on contributors

Stephen Parkinson

Stephen Parkinson is a registered psychotherapist based at True Colours Children's Health Trust in Hamilton, New Zealand. Originally from the United Kingdom he initially trained as a registered mental health nurse prior to training as a Gestalt Therapist. He moved to New Zealand in 1989. he has been a faculty trainer with the gestalt institute of New Zealand for over 20 years. This current research is in part completion of his Masters in Health Science with the University of Auckland.

Yvonne Bray

Dr Yvonne Bray is a registered nurse and lecturer based in the Department of General Practice and primary Health Care at the University of Auckland. Originally from Malaysia, she qualified as a Registered Nurse in the United Kingdom and then went on to complete a Bachelor of Health Science, Master of Arts in Nursing and a PhD in General Practice and Primary Health Care in New Zealand. Yvonne's PhD research explored the experience of migrants dying away from their birth country.

Bridget Kool

Bridget Kool trained as a Registered General and Obstetric Nurse and practiced as a nurse for 25 years, holding a number of senior roles. She has completed an MPH (1st class honours) and a PhD (Dean's List) both from the University of Auckland. From July 2016 to December 2017 she was Academic Director for the School of Population Health, and prior to that Director of the BHSc(Hons) programme at the School. She has held a number of service roles including: New Zealand Branch President of the Australasian Epidemiological Association (November 2014 to February 2018), and Editor for Australian New Zealand Journal of Public Health.