Lived experiences of nurses in providing spiritual care in oncology settings in Ghana: a descriptive phenomenological study.

BACKGROUND

Cancer diagnoses often give rise to profound existential concerns related to meaning, identity, and mortality, highlighting the importance of holistic care, including spiritual support, in cancer care. Although spiritual care is widely recognised as an essential component of oncology, its integration into routine practice remains inconsistent, particularly in resource-constrained and culturally diverse settings.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored nurses' experiences of integrating spirituality into spiritual care in oncology settings in Ghana.

METHODS

A descriptive phenomenological design was employed. Using purposive sampling, 20 nurses from a major referral hospital were interviewed face to face and by telephone. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method to derive themes and the essential structure of the participants' experiences.

RESULTS

The provision of spiritual care is a complex and contextually constrained process. Participants described navigating relational and ethical tensions, including differences in beliefs and patients' existential distress, while striving to sustain care within systemic constraints, such as time pressures, lack of institutional support, and limited infrastructure. Despite these challenges, nurses actively sought to enhance spiritual care through interdisciplinary collaboration, training, and calls for greater institutional integration.

CONCLUSIONS

Spiritual care in oncology is dynamic and negotiated, shaped by relational, ethical, and structural factors. Strengthening its integration requires contextually relevant institutional support, capacity-building, and interdisciplinary approaches.