Cancer Patients of Religious Needs: A qualitative study

Understanding the spiritual needs of patients can affect the method of having therapeutic relationship with patients and also on the method of providing spiritual care for the patients. This study has been done as a qualitative research with the approach of content analysis, and with the goal of determining spiritual needs of patients with cancer in Iran. The participants were 18 patients with cancer that had been admitted since March to September 2013 in Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

The sampling started focused on the goal and it continued up to the data satisfaction. We used the interview method for gathering the information, and then formative content analysis was used to analysis the data. Then the internal themes were extracted.

611 primary codes were specified, and then by analyzing the data, the internal structure of religion was extracted. It has 3 categories included the role of religious beliefs, relationship with God, need to worship. The subcategories included believe, faith, closeness to the God, trust in God, pray, worship and doing the religious ceremony.

Religion was effective and a motivating factor in patients with cancer. This study showed that Iranians are religious people, based on the cultural conditions, and they rely on religion to cope better with crisis. Having more religious beliefs can reduce the mental health problems, increases the coping and help the patients maintain their hope. The results of this research can be used by nursing managers to plan holistic care in this group of patients.