Spiritual well being and spiritual health; Perceptions of adult oncology outpatients

The spiritual dimension of human existence has long been recognised in nursing literature, and has received renewed attention through the development of palliative care philosophy. Despite this, research in the field is limited and predominantly North American in origin. This paper reports on Australian work in progress. The study sought to explore the concepts of spiritual well being and spiritual needs utilizing a sample of Australian born oncology out- patients. Differences across age and gender were examined, together with variations in religious / existentialist spiritual perceptions.