Abstract
AIM: To understand why healthcare professionals working in palliative care felt that pilgrimage to Lourdes could be a beneficial activity for the terminally ill. DESIGN: A qualitative study using a phenomenological framework. METHODS: Nine semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of hospice staff. RESULTS: The reasons given for accompanying the terminally ill to Lourdes reflected the general aims of palliative care. They included improving the quality of life through the provision of a holiday, maintaining patient choice and autonomy and enabling inner-transformations. The communitas, or altered relationships, formed during the pilgrimage were also seen as beneficial.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 234-239 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | International Journal of Palliative Nursing |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2005 |