Hope and spirituality among patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis: a correlational study

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the relationship between the hope and spirituality of patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. METHOD: this is a cross-sectional, correlational study. The sample was composed of 127 patients of a Renal Replacement Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews guided by the following instruments: participant characterization, Herth Hope Index (HHI), and Pinto Pais-Ribeiro Spirituality Scale (PP-RSS). RESULTS: the average HHI score was 38.06 (±4.32) while the average PP-RSS score was 3.67 (±0.62) for "beliefs" and 3.21 (±0.53) for "hope/optimism". Spearman's coefficient indicated there was a moderate positive correlation between the HHI and PP-RSS dimensions of "beliefs" (r=0.430; p<0.001) and "hope/optimism" (r=0.376; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Since a relationship between the sense of hope and spirituality of patients with chronic kidney disease was found, these constructs should be taken into account at the time health professionals deliver care to help patients coping with the disease and treatment.