Spirituality in Clinical Practice: The Perspective of Brazilian Medical Students

The current status of "spirituality and health" teaching in Brazilian medical schools: a nationwide survey

BACKGROUND

Recent data on the teaching of "spirituality and health" (S/H) in medical schools are needed. In this study, we aimed to investigate the current status of S/H teaching in Brazilian medical schools, the opinions of medical directors/deans on this topic and the factors associated with its incorporation into the curriculum.

METHODS

A nationwide cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2021. Information concerning the S/H content in the curricula of medical schools was obtained through medical school representatives and other sources. Medical school representatives were asked about their opinions of and barriers to S/H teaching. Regression models were used to evaluate the factors associated with the incorporation of such content into the curriculum.

RESULTS

Information on the incorporation of S/H content in medical curricula was retrieved from different sources for all 342 (100%) Brazilian medical schools. Among the representatives, 150 (43.9%) completed the online form. An increase in the S/H content in Brazilian medical schools was observed (from 40% to 2011 to 65.5% in 2021). Most medical school representatives agreed that this issue is important in medical training and that more space in the curriculum is needed. However, they also observed several barriers, such as a lack of knowledge of medical teachers/faculty, a lack of time, and the topic not being included in teaching plans. The most important factors that influenced the incorporation of S/H teaching in medical schools and representatives' opinions were a lack of time and knowledge, professor preparedness and standardized national competency requirements.

CONCLUSION

These results could help medical educators rethink the incorporation of S/H content into their curricula.

Nursing Students' Professional Competence in Providing Spiritual Care in Iran

Providing spiritual care as a dimension of holistic nursing care is a task that requires competent caregivers. The present study seeks to examine the relationship of personal characteristics with perceived competence in Iranian nursing students and their professional competence in providing spiritual care. This cross-sectional study was conducted on all the nursing students at Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran, using the census method (n = 224). The research sample consisted of 179 students who met the eligibility criteria. Data were collected using the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (SCCS). The mean SCCS score for respondents was 3.66. Using the cutoff point of >3.5, approximately three quarters of respondents (72.1%) perceived themselves to be competent in delivering spiritual care. The scores of competence and its domains were not significantly different in terms of history of participation in ethics training workshops, gender and marital status (P > 0.05). The scores were also not significantly correlated with age, semester and work experience. Although more than 70% of the nursing students perceived themselves competent in providing spiritual care, nursing curriculum planners should seek to promote the spiritual capacity and competence of nursing students in providing spiritual care through education and training.

Impact of an online spiritual care course on perceived competency in spiritual care of students in social and health care professions / Wirksamkeit eines Online-Spiritual Care-Seminars auf die wahrgenommene Spiritual Care-Kompetenz bei Studierenden in Sozial- und Gesundheitsberufen

This study examines the impact of an online spiritual care course on perceived spiritual care competency of students in social and health care professions. A quasi-experimental, pre-post-test study using questionnaires was conducted in Bavaria, Southern Germany, with a sample of 78 participants and 67 respondents in a comparison group. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed, with time and group as factors. Statistically significant increases were found in participants' perceived knowledge, skills, and attitudes concerning spiritual care, in different facets of spiritual care competency, in spiritual awareness, and in general self-efficacy (p < .05). Results suggest the effectiveness of online spiritual care training, which can help prepare future caregivers in providing holistic care.