Introduction

The theory of transpersonal caring is useful in understanding critical moments in the health-disease process such as the experience of major surgery. This study aims to evaluate the religiousness and spiritual well-being of patients hospitalized in the preoperative period of heart surgery from the perspective of Jean Watson's transpersonal caring.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and June 2017 at the surgical wards of a university cardiology hospital in northeastern Brazil. 174 participants were evaluated in the preoperative period of cardiac surgery using the Duke University Religion Index and the Spiritual Well Being Scale.

Results

The results showed that patients made significant use of religion to maintain their spiritual well-being in the preoperative period. The analysis of the results found was carried out based on Jean Watson's theory of transpersonal caring.

Discussion and conclusion

Existential crisis experienced by patients in the face of cardiac surgery, which involves restrictions, imposed changes and uncertainty, has an impact on the maintenance of well-being and its spiritual dimension which, in a transpersonal analysis, is a dimension of the individual's integral health.

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