From Compassionate Intuition to Clinical Competence: Spiritual Care Among Palliative Care Professionals in Ecuador

Background/Objectives: Spiritual care is essential for alleviating multidimensional suffering at the end of life. However, its clinical integration in Latin America faces cultural, linguistic, and religious complexities. These complexities also challenge the traditional biomedical model. This study addresses the gap between international theoretical frameworks and empirical reality in a diverse context by examining how healthcare professionals in Ecuador perceive, understand, and apply palliative spiritual care, using three competencies from the Latin American Association of Palliative Care (ALCP).