Introduction

Evidence from the literature shows the influence of spirituality on individuals’ health. However, few health education institutions in Brazil include the topic in their course programs. This reality is even more evident when we are dealing with specialization or residency programs in the health area.

Objective

To analyze how spirituality-related content is approached in the Health Department Residency Programs of the city of Recife (Sesau-Recife).

Method

The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee, report number 2,136,503. It is an exploratory, descriptive study with a combined approach that involved analysis of the Political Pedagogical Projects through a documentary analysis script and interviews with residents and preceptors of 8 Residency Programs in Sesau-Recife, using a semi-structured interview script. Once collected, these were analyzed according to Minayo’s proposal.

Results and discussion

In the documentary analysis, no content on spirituality was found. In the interviews, the collected content was categorized into: concepts; evidence-based spirituality; spirituality and care; spirituality and finitude; spirituality and training. In the analysis, it was observed that preceptors and residents, for the most part, do not know the concepts, evidence and applicability of spirituality in clinical practice and in health education. The interviewees showed an interest in training in the subject and considered relevant the inclusion of spirituality in the course content.

Conclusion

The approach of spirituality in health courses has been growing rapidly in the international setting and more slowly in the domestic sphere. This reality is even more categoric for undergraduate courses. As regards graduate studies, however, little progress has been made. The residency programs of Sesau-Recife are an example of this assertion, since they do not contemplate, at least officially, the contents of spirituality in their programs. In this sense, given the benefit it brings to individuals, it is recommended that spirituality be included in the official contents of these programs.

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