Spirituality in urgent and emergency services

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the relationship between spirituality and the process of health and disease, due to the protection potential attributed to this dimension in difficult situations, such as during urgent and emergency care, which are identified as stress generators due to their characteristics. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate how spirituality is addressed in urgency and emergency services. A review of literature from publications indexed in Medline and Scopus from 2000 to 2014 was performed and seven articles were selected. It was observed that spirituality is identified as a need for patients and families, particularly in relation to end of life situations. The understanding of this dimension in the context of emergency care remains a challenge, however, as it is not perceived as a priority during care due to the difficulties of working
in health services.