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Integral Human Development

Holistic Oncology Care: Integrating Spirituality for Integral Human Development

Helga Martins, Universidade Católica Portuguesa . Email:hemartins@ucp.pt

Cancer affects individuals in wholly scopes of their lives, necessitating a holistic approach to care. Holistic nursing care is rooted in humanism and serves as a guiding philosophy in patient care. This approach considers physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs, leading to a deeper understanding of patient responses to illness and identifying their real needs. The benefits of holistic care are vast, improving quality of life, symptom management, and patient satisfaction. Additionally, nurses experience personal and professional growth by comprehending the complexities of human responses to health challenges.
A recurring theme in the literature is the importance of incorporating spirituality into holistic care. However, its integration remains a challenge, requiring engagement from healthcare professionals and institutions, along with clear guidelines to support its implementation. Spirituality becomes particularly significant in times of crisis, such as during cancer treatment, where it serves as an essential support mechanism.
Holistic care aligns with the concept of integral human development, which emphasizes the comprehensive well-being of individuals, addressing their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Spirituality is a complex, broad, abstract, subjective, and multidimensional concept, universally recognized as an intrinsic part of human life. Despite its abstract nature, it plays a crucial role in well-being, particularly for cancer patients undergoing treatment. Given its importance, nurses must be prepared to integrate spiritual care into their practice. Developing competencies in spiritual care, raising awareness among healthcare organizations, and promoting guidelines to support its application are essential steps in ensuring a truly holistic and patient-centered approach that fosters integral human development.


OpenEdition sugere que esta publicação seja citada da seguinte forma:
helgamartins (4 de Março de 2025). Holistic Oncology Care: Integrating Spirituality for Integral Human Development. Desenvolvimento Humano Integral. Recuperado em 22 de Abril de 2025 de https://doi.org/10.58079/13f1o


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