Spiritual needs of patients through the eyes of nurses at departments of aftercare and long-term care.

The theoretical part of this bachelor thesis is primarily concerned with topics of spiritual needs and spiritual care. The first chapter inquires into the holistic concept and the needs of people with illnesses. What is the need and what are the main characteristics of particular basic needs is described there. The second chapter engages in the spiritual care, but there are also other terms mentioned; the pastoral care or the hospital chaplain, for instance. The past of the spiritual care is not omitted either, as it reaches into the remote history. The last chapter is concerned with departments of aftercare and longterm care and these terms are explained there. Information about nurses' work at such departments is provided, as well. The research part of the thesis addresses the research aim that is defined in this way: To learn how nurses at departments of consecutive and long-term care perceive the idea of spiritual need, if they recognize particular spiritual needs and how they react to them. To learn the overall spiritual needs standard and organization at individual departments. Methodologically, because of the research aim, qualitative research design has been chosen and the data has been collected through semi-structured interviews, individually with respondents. The research uncovered that nurses have a basic awareness of spiritual care and spiritual needs but they still miss some knowledge. For example, many nurses believe that spiritual care serves only to believing patients. Another finding reveals that nurses are able to rightly react on spiritual needs of the patient and they agree on the process of spiritual needs' fulfilment. The thesis offers a complex insight into nurses' view of spiritual care. The output of the thesis is an information material for nurses and patients