Experience Of Religious Coping Of Cancer Atients:a Qualitative Research

Objectives:1. To describe the process self-adjustment and experience of religious coping ofcancer patients.2. To interpret the phenomenon of religious coping with the cancer patients to raisepeople’s understanding and awareness, in order to provide the theory basis for clinicalevidence-based nursing.Methods:Phenomenological approach of qualitative research was chosen for the presentinvestigation. In-depth interviews were conducted with16cancer patients with religious,processed and analyzed by means of data analysis based on Giorgi. In order to explorepatients’ experiences of religious coping, I interviewed16cancer patients with religiousbelief from four Taian general municipal hospitals from April2011to October2011.Results:The finding showed that religious coping is an emotional-based coping way,influencing treatment and rehabilitation. Patients’ perceptions were concluded to threethemes:1. Self-adjustment of cancer patients with religious(1) cognitive reappraisal including recognize the meaning of life, the congnitivechange of diseases and the death.(2) faith adjustment including stimulate the existence desire, accept the role ofpatients,enhance confidence to overcome disease, optimism to face the disease.(3) behavior adjustment including enhance the self control, return to normalcy,transfer the pressure source, personality change.2. The experience of religion with the cancer patients including emotional, physicaland social aspect.(1) the emotional aspect including acquire spiritual sustenance and dependence, reduce psychological distress, increase their tolerance for pain, get a sense of belonging,enhance happiness.(2) the physical aspect including ease the symptoms of physical discomfort, improvesleep quality.(3) the social aspect of promote the interpersonal relationships and family harmony.3. The evaluation for the religious coping: the cure, the spiritual supporter, the helper.Conclusion:1. The positive religious coping is an effective coping way of psychologicaladjustment. Cancer patients use it to attain physiological, psychological and spiritualcomforts to a certain extent.2. The nurse staff should appropriately direct, understand and meet the religious needsof the patients, in order to rich the connotation of holistic nursing care and multiculturalnursing care.