Student nurses' perspectives of spirituality and spiritual care

The Association Between Spirituality, Self-Esteem, Anxiety and Depression: A Comparative Exploratory Study Between People with a Spinal Cord Injury and Healthy Subjects in Greece

The purpose of this study was to evaluate spirituality, religiosity, self-esteem, depression, and stress in people with spinal cord injuries. The Royal Free Questionnaire for Spiritual and Religious Beliefs, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale were all designed for the current study to collect demographic and injury-related information. In the study, 88 patients with traumatic SCI and 88 healthy subjects were included. Half of the participants and healthy subjects were women, while the mean age of the healthy subjects was 42.8 years and that of the subjects was 42.4 years. The majority of participants were Greek (97.2%), while 44.1% were married or with a partner and 43.2% were single. The mean depression and stress score was higher in patients than in healthy subjects, and the mean score of self-esteem was lower in patients than healthy subjects. Multivariable linear regression model showed that patients who believed more that a spiritual force or power outside of ourselves can influence what happens in everyday life had less depression and stress. People with spinal cord injuries experience extreme stress, anxiety, and depression. Spirituality and religiosity can play a significant role in their recuperation, rehabilitation, and adaptation.

The Relationship Between the Sense of Professional Belonging and Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Among Turkish Midwifery Students

This study examined the relationship between the sense of professional belonging and perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care among midwifery students. This cross-sectional study's sample included 194 third- and fourth-year midwifery students associated with the Faculty of Health Sciences at two universities in western Turkey. Data were collected using web-based surveys. The results indicate a positive relationship between total scores on the Midwifery Belonging Scale and scores on the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. As the students' spirituality and spiritual care perceptions increased, their feelings of professional belonging as midwives also increased. Therefore, including the concepts of spirituality and belonging in the midwifery curriculum can increase students' spiritual perceptions and sense of professional belonging, thereby enhancing the quality of the care they ultimately provide.

Divine resilience: Unveiling the impact of religious coping mechanisms on pain endurance in arab older adults battling chronic pain

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain diminishes the quality of life for many Older Adults individuals. Identifying effective coping methods to enhance pain resilience is imperative as populations age. Older Adults commonly use religious faith and spiritual practices to endure pain, yet little research has explored their impact on pain tolerance.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study examined relationships between positive/negative religious coping styles and pain endurance in 200 Arab elders with chronic pain. Participants completed the Brief Arab Religious Coping Scale, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, WHOQOL-BREF, and demographic/medical history questionnaires.

RESULTS

Quantitative analysis demonstrated significant positive associations between positive religious reappraisal and active spiritual coping with higher self-reported pain endurance (p<.05). Negative religious coping styles lacked meaningful relationships with pain tolerance. Multiple regression confirmed the unique effects of reappraisal and spiritual practice on improving pain resilience, controlling for covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes align with perspectives highlighting multidimensional neurocognitive, emotional, and psychosocial pain relief from religious coping. Findings underscore integrating positive faith-based resources in biopsychosocial paradigms for Older Adult's pain management. Additional research should investigate causal pathways and contextual factors influencing religious coping effects on diverse Older Adult subgroups.

Association between spirituality and attitudes toward older adults in nursing students: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine the correlation between spirituality and attitudes toward older adults among nursing students.

METHODS

The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. This study was conducted with nursing students in the nursing department of a university in Eastern Turkey. The study was completed with 366 nursing students. An information form, the Spirituality Scale, and Kogan's Attitudes toward Old People Scale were used.

RESULTS

The mean score of the Spirituality Scale was 104.18 ± 18.79, and the mean score of the Kogan's Attitudes toward Old People Scale was 99.11 ± 13.57. There was a small but significant correlation between spirituality and attitudes toward older adults (r = 0.342, p < 0.01). Moreover, the results indicated that spirituality is positive and significantly predicted attitudes toward older adults (β = 0.342, t = 19.495, p < 0.01) and explained 11.7% of the variance in attitudes toward older adults.

CONCLUSIONS

A small but significant correlation was found between spirituality and attitudes toward older adults. Further study on the causal relationship between spirituality and attitudes toward older adults among nursing students is necessary.

Unani Tibb practitioners' perceptions and attitudes towards spirituality and spiritual care in Unani Tibb practice in South Africa

BACKGROUND

Unani Tibb is an Arabic term which means Greek medicine. It is an ancient holistic medical system based on the healing theories of Hippocrates, Galen and Ibn Sina (Avicenna). Despite this, spirituality and spiritual care practices are deficient in the clinical setting.

METHODS

This cross-sectional descriptive study was used to describe Unani Tibb practitioners' perceptions and attitudes regarding spirituality and spiritual care in South Africa. A demographic form, Spiritual Care-Giving Scale, Spiritual and Spiritual Care Rating Scale and Spirituality in Unani Tibb Scale were used to collect data.

RESULTS

A response rate of 64.7% (n = 44 out of 68) was achieved. Positive perceptions and attitudes regarding spirituality and spiritual care were recorded for Unani Tibb practitioners. The spiritual needs of their patients were considered vital towards enhancing the Unani Tibb treatment approach. Spirituality and spiritual care were regarded as fundamental to Unani Tibb therapy. However, most practitioners agreed that adequate training in spirituality and spiritual care was lacking and future training initiatives were imperative for Unani Tibb clinical practice in South Africa.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study recommends further research in this field by means of qualitative and mixed methods approaches to provide a deeper understanding to this phenomenon. Clear guidelines on spirituality and spiritual care for Unani Tibb clinical practice are essential to ensure the integrity of the holistic approach required by the profession.

The Relationship Between Nursing Students' Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care and their Personal Values

This study involved a descriptive and correlational study to determine how nursing students at one university in Turkey perceive spiritual care. The data were collected through a personal information form, the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale and the Portrait Values Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Pearson's Correlation Analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. There was a correlation between perceptions of personal values and spiritual care. It was observed that the values that predicted perception of spiritual care were the values of hedonism and tradition. Therefore, it is recommended to plan value-based training, especially on subjective concepts such as spiritual care and plan simulation-based training where students can measure the results of their behaviors and reactions in given scenarios.

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.

Spiritual Care Competence of Nurses

Background Health care has become more patient centered, and spiritual care has become more critical during the past several decades because researchers have identified associations between met spiritual needs and positive health outcomes. This study investigated nurses' spiritual care competence. Method A cross-sectional, descriptive research design was used. The study sample consisted of 201 nurses of a training and research hospital. Data were collected using a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire and the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (SCCS). Results The participants had a mean age of 27.62 ± 5.28 years. They had a mean SCCS score of 3.88 ± 0.50. Three factors affected participants' spiritual care competence. First, head nurses had a higher mean SCCS score than nurses (4.16 ± 0.26 vs. 3.87 ± 0.50). Second, participants who met patients' spiritual care needs had a higher mean SCCS score than those who could not (4.02 ± 0.54 vs. 3.09 ± 1.12). Third, participants who could diagnose patients for spiritual care had a higher mean SCCS score than those who could not (p < .05). Conclusion These nurses had above-average spiritual care competence. Universities and health care institutions should provide nurses with training to help them develop spiritual care competence. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(5):225-231.].

"We are also here"-Spiritual Care Practitioners' Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study from Poland

Although healthcare professionals have become the symbol of risk and sacrifice during the COVID-19 pandemic, spiritual care practitioners (SCP) have also put themselves at great risk while offering their service in hospitals, hospices and other healthcare facilities. This study was designed to explore the lived experiences of SCP during the current health crisis in Poland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-four SCP. Nine major themes emerged from the interviews: personal reactions to the pandemic, SCP's perception of the pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of spiritual care, spiritual needs during the pandemic, work-related emotions, the impact of the COVID-19 on religion, the role of spiritual care during the outbreak, the healthcare professionals' perceptions of SCP and barriers to the provision of spiritual care during the pandemic. The SCP indicated that although the COVID-19 crisis has affected the availability of pastoral, religious and spiritual care, it has amplified the importance of such care and has positively influenced the visibility of SCP in modern healthcare practice. Nonetheless, in such desperate times, SCP are still neglected and should be further recognised and integrated into the healthcare system.

An online survey to describe pharmacy student spirituality and spiritual care perspectives

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about student pharmacists' perspectives of spirituality and spiritual care (SC) in pharmacy education and practice. The purpose of this study was to examine student pharmacists' perspectives about spirituality and incorporating SC in pharmacy education and practice.

METHODS

Student pharmacists were recruited from two private pharmacy schools in California, one religiously-affiliated and one non-religiously affiliated. A faculty member at each school invited student pharmacists via email or through Zoom (Zoom Video Communications) chat to complete the 37-item online survey through an embedded link. The investigator-designed survey was comprised of 22 items inquiring about spirituality and SC as well as several items assessing demographic and religious characteristics.

RESULTS

Participants included 470 student pharmacists (87.2% response rate) who were 28.9 ± 5.7 years old on average. Half of the respondents (50.5%) attended the non-religiously affiliated university. Most of the respondents were female (67%), Christian (67.8%), spiritual (79.2%), and religious (75.2%). They "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that: "understanding patients' spiritual beliefs is an important part of pharmacy practice" (83%), "I would pray with my patients as a pharmacist" (54.8%), "it is appropriate for a pharmacist to have spiritual or religious conversations with patients" (52.9%), and "it is appropriate for a pharmacist to pray with and for patients who request it" (66.9%). These beliefs were positively correlated with self-reported religiosity and spirituality.

CONCLUSIONS

Most students considered themselves spiritual and religious and felt that spirituality and learning about SC were important. The respondents' SC perspectives were associated with their religiosity and spirituality.

“We are also here”—Spiritual Care Practitioners’ Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study from Poland

Although healthcare professionals have become the symbol of risk and sacrifice during the COVID-19 pandemic, spiritual care practitioners (SCP) have also put themselves at great risk while offering their service in hospitals, hospices and other healthcare facilities. This study was designed to explore the lived experiences of SCP during the current health crisis in Poland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-four SCP. Nine major themes emerged from the interviews: personal reactions to the pandemic, SCP’s perception of the pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of spiritual care, spiritual needs during the pandemic, work-related emotions, the impact of the COVID-19 on religion, the role of spiritual care during the outbreak, the healthcare professionals’ perceptions of SCP and barriers to the provision of spiritual care during the pandemic. The SCP indicated that although the COVID-19 crisis has affected the availability of pastoral, religious and spiritual care, it has amplified the importance of such care and has positively influenced the visibility of SCP in modern healthcare practice. Nonetheless, in such desperate times, SCP are still neglected and should be further recognised and integrated into the healthcare system.

Determining the Spiritual Care Requirements and Death Anxiety Levels of Patients Diagnosed with COVID-19 in Turkey

Our study was conducted to determine the spiritual care needs and death anxiety levels of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. The population consisted of patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Turkey. The mean total Spiritual Care Requirements Scale score of the participants was 67.05 ± 26.30. The mean VAS for Death Anxiety score of the participants was 8.82 ± 1.26. In our study, it was found that the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 had an increased need for spiritual care and high levels of anxiety about death.

Osteopathy students profile in Italy: A cross sectional census

INTRODUCTION

The Osteopathy Students Analysis (OSA) aims to profile osteopathy students in Italy as a target population in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, geographical distribution, health status, and previous and ongoing education specifications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The OSA used a cross-sectional design. A Web-based survey was distributed to the Italian Osteopathic Education Institutions (OEIs). The OSA survey was composed of items organised into four sections: 1. Sociodemographic characteristics (11 items); 2. Geographical distribution (5 items); 3. Health status (3 items); 4. Previous and ongoing education specifications (16 items). A descriptive sample population analysis was performed. Dichotomous and categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages, and continuous variables were displayed as means and standard deviations. Some variables were analysed using a pentenary distribution.

RESULTS

49 out of the 61 OEIs identified matched the inclusion criteria, and among these, 22 accepted to propose the enrolment of their students into the study. The survey was administered to 4,720 students from all the participant OEIs. A total of 3,762 students responded to the survey, accounting for an estimated response rate of 53.7%. The majority of respondents were men (54%), with an average age of 26.9 ± 6.5 years. Almost the totality of the sample was composed of the European ethnic group (99.1%). Respondents were predominantly born in Italy (97.2%). The majority of the sample reported being in good (49.5%) to excellent (38.6%) health. To date, osteopathy students are almost evenly distributed between the two types of curricula (T1 = 46.6%; T2 = 53.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

The OSA is the first study that aims to profile Italian osteopathy students as a target population in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, geographical distribution, health status, and previous and ongoing education specifications. Future studies should focus on investigating the correlation between the sociodemographic characteristics of students and their academic performance.

Nursing Students' Spiritual Orientations and Their Attitudes Toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity: A Sample from Turkey

Nurses' attitudes toward spiritual care and death are influenced by their personal belief systems and world-views. The aim of this study is to reveal the attitudes of nursing students toward spiritual orientation and principles of dying with dignity. The study was conducted with the participation of 478 nursing students. As a result of the study, it was found that the average score of the students' spiritual orientation scale was high and the average score of the assessment scale of attitudes toward the principles of dying with dignity was found to be moderate.

A spiritual education course to enhance nursing students' spiritual competencies

The study aimed to determine the impact of an elective spiritual education course for nursing students on spiritual competencies. A convenience sample of nursing students (N = 92) was recruited from a baccalaureate school of nursing between February and July 2016. The intervention group (n = 45) was comprised of students enrolled in the elective spiritual education course which integrated non-Christian Eastern cultural beliefs; the control group was comprised of students not enrolled in the elective (n = 47). A quasi-experimental design examined pretest, posttest, and follow-up data from students' self-administered questionnaires. The intervention effect of the course was analyzed using generalized estimation equation. The results indicated posttest scores among nursing students in the intervention group were significantly better than the comparison group for spiritual health. Practicum stress and professional commitment were significantly better at follow-up. Spiritual care attitudes, caring behavior, and religious belief were significantly improved from pretest to posttest, and at follow-up for the intervention group compared with the control group. In conclusion, a spiritual education course should be considered as a regular course in the nursing curriculum, which could improve students' spiritual competencies, individual spiritual growth, and the ability to care for patients.

Nurses' spiritual attitudes and involvement-Validation of the Polish version of the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List

Background

Spirituality is vital in the holistic approach to nursing care. The personal spirituality of nurses has been documented to have an impact on the spiritual nursing care they provide.

Aim

To validate the Polish version of the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL) among nurses and to describe spiritual attitudes and involvement of nurses as measured with the tool.

Design

A cross-sectional, validation study was performed according to the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology guidelines.

Methods

Study involving 163 nurses, with the use of four tools: (a) the SAIL; (b) the Self-Description Questionnaire; (c) the Scale of Spiritual Transcendence; and (d) the Brief Religious Coping questionnaire.

Results

The Explanatory Factor Analysis identified six factors and 25 items were retained explaining a total variance of 67.96%. In the Confirmative Factor Analysis, acceptable index fit values were obtained. Correlations were found between SAIL and the Brief Religious Coping questionnaire, the Self-Description Questionnaire, and the Spiritual Transcendence Scale. Nurses reported the highest scores on ‘Meaningfulness’ (= 4.95 out of 6.0, Standard Deviation [SD] 0.56) and the lowest on the ‘Transcendent Experiences’ factor (= 3.21 out of 6.0, SD 0.93). A strong correlation was found between ‘Spiritual Activities’ and the religious involvement of nurses (r = 0.506), and between ‘Connectedness with nature’ and the nurses’ age and work experience (r = 0.315 and r = 0.321, respectively).

Conclusion

The Polish version of SAIL shows acceptable psychometric properties and construct validity. With the validation of SAIL, future studies can be undertaken with the aim of measuring the personal spirituality of nurses in various settings (hospital vs. community), cultures, and countries, thus increasing the opportunity to compare findings. Moreover, more studies should be performed in order to assess whether there is any connection between personal spirituality and the spiritual nursing care provided to patients.

Pharmacy and Nursing Students' Perceptions Regarding the Role of Spirituality in Professional Education and Practice

Objective. To compare first-year student pharmacists and nursing students with respect to their spirituality and perceptions of the role of spirituality in professional education and practice. Methods. This was a five-year, cross-sectional study. All first-year student pharmacists and nursing students were invited to participate in the survey during the first week of the fall semester in 2012 through 2016. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results. A total of 1,084 students participated, including 735 student pharmacists and 349 nursing students. Significant differences in baseline demographics were noted between the groups. Students in both groups reported having frequent spiritual experiences. A significantly larger percentage of nursing students reported these experiences compared to student pharmacists. Furthermore, compared with student pharmacists, nursing students were more likely to anticipate that spirituality would play a role in their academic course work (76% vs 58%) and professional practice (90% vs 74%). Conclusion. Student pharmacists and nursing students reported having frequent spiritual experiences, and both groups anticipated that spirituality would be incorporated into their education and professional practice.

Content Analysis of the Meaning of Spiritual Care as Perceived by Nursing Students

Purpose

This study aimed to describe the meaning of spiritual care as perceived by nursing students.

Methods

This study used a descriptive research design, and the participants were 126 fourth-year nursing students from three nursing colleges. Data were collected from August to September 2019, and were analyzed using the content analysis method.

Results

Four themes of spiritual care with 15 sub-themes were extracted from the content analysis 1) "promoting spiritual well-being" (sub-themes "providing religious help", "caring for the patient as a spiritual being", and "presupposing human dignity regardless of religion"); 2) "taking place in actual nursing practice" (representative sub-themes "considering the perspective of the patient", "reducing suffering"); 3) "caring for the multifaceted needs of human beings" (representative sub-themes "providing physical, mental, and spiritual care", "caring for both the mental and physical health of the patient"), and 4) "growing together" (sub-themes "positively affecting patient well-being", "beginning with the nurse's self-transcendence").

Conclusion

These results suggest that nursing students consider spiritual care to be a highly positive and practical form of nursing care. However, because few students have been exposed to religion and spirituality, more systematic training should be provided.

End-of-Life Issues in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought the world to a standstill and has exposed the lack of preparedness of most nations' health care systems. Even in usual times, palliative care has not received its fair share of recognition as an important component of patient care; instead, the emphasis is often placed on aggressive patient management. Now, with the entire medical community and decision-making committees focussed on intensive patient care, end-of-life care has taken a backseat.

Methods

This article is a brief communication.

Results

COVID 19 infection has been shown to lead to greater mortality and morbidity in patients with pre-existing illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, renal failure, and cancer. Patients typically in need of end-of-life care, such as those with late-stage cancer or heart failure, are therefore at a higher risk of both contracting COVID-19 and suffering a more severe disease course. The strict nationwide lockdowns being imposed in most countries have deterred patients from seeking medical attention or hospice care. Every day new research is coming to light regarding COVID 19. This has helped significantly in creating awareness and limiting the spread of disease. However, misinformation is also rampant, leading to discrimination and mistreatment of infected patients.

Conclusion

This pandemic has been a terrifying ordeal for all and has exposed our entire population physically, psychologically, emotionally, and financially to unimaginable stresses. In the present scenario, EOL care is as much a necessity as intensive care and should be given at least a fraction of its importance.

Spirituality-focused end-of-life care among paediatric patients: evidence from Saudi Arabia?

BACKGROUND

Spirituality has been recognised as an essential aspect of patient care.

AIM

To assess the greatest facilitators that would help to provide spirituality for paediatric end of life. Methods: Two hundred and fifty oncology nurses were surveyed using a spirituality and spiritual care rating questionnaire.

FINDINGS

The greatest facilitators perceived by nurses were: believe in spirituality as a unifying force that enables one to be at peace with oneself and the world; listening and allowing patients time to discuss and explore their fears; and using art, creativity and self-expression; respect for privacy, dignity and religious and cultural beliefs of a patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Many nursing-related facilitators to spirituality care were found. They need to be addressed and supported through education and training.

Attitudes Toward Spiritual Care and the Provision of Spiritual Care Interventions Among Jordanian Baccalaureate Nursing Students: Prevalence and Correlates

AIM

The aim of this study was to identify aspects and frequencies of spiritual care intervention provided by baccalaureate nursing students and to explore factors associated with the frequency of spiritual care interventions.

BACKGROUND

Provision of spiritual care is a part of good quality nursing and is an important dimension in patients' health and well-being.

METHODA

A cross-sectional descriptive and correlational design was employed. A convenience sample of 267 Jordanian baccalaureate nursing students completed a structured, self-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS

Participants had a low mean level of provision frequency for religious spiritual care interventions. Nursing students with a greater spiritual perspective, positive attitudes toward spiritual care, and adequate education and training in spiritual care were more likely to provide interventions more frequently.

CONCLUSIONS

Jordanian baccalaureate nursing students provide religious spiritual care interventions only infrequently. Implications for nursing education, clinical field experience, and nursing program curricula are explored.

Spiritual Care Perceptions of Baccalaureate Nursing Students

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine baccalaureate nursing (BSN) students' perception of spirituality and spiritual care as a component of holistic nursing practice. Aim: The specific aim of this study was to determine the perception levels of spiritual care, religiosity, and spirituality in first- and last-semester BSN students. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of BSN students. Participants (n = 150) completed demographics with self-reflected levels of religiosity and spirituality, the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale (SCGS), and the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS). Findings: First-semester and last-semester BSN students were predominately single, female, Caucasian, and Christian. First-semester BSN students completed the SCGS and SSCRS upon entrance and exit in the first semester of the nursing program with no significant differences found. However, the last-semester BSN students scored significantly higher than the first-semester BSN students on the SCGS and the SSCRS. Conclusion: Over the course of the nursing program, the last-semester BSN students gained insight into spiritual care placing a higher emphasis on spirituality and less on religiosity. This supports the threading of spiritual nursing care throughout the nursing curriculum. Further study validation is needed.

Quality of Life and the Predictive Roles of Religiosity and Spiritual Coping Among Nursing Students: A Multi-country Study

There has been high interest in religious and spirituality practices among college students due to positive benefits to university life. However, no studies have been conducted examining nursing students' religiosity and use of spiritual coping and its impact on their QOL. This cross-sectional, descriptive study measured the QOL and examined the predictive roles of religiosity and spiritual coping among nursing students from four countries. Nursing students reported high overall QOL and health. Significant differences were revealed on the religiosity and spiritual coping of students in terms of demographic characteristics. Findings show frequent attendance to organized and non-organized religious activities lead to better physical and environmental domains, and using non-organized religious activities frequently lead to improved psychological health. More frequent use of non-religious coping strategies was associated with better physical, psychological, and environmental health, and improved social relationships.

A View of Spirituality and Spiritual Care in a Sample of Spanish Nurses

The aim of this paper was to explore a select group of Spanish nurses’ views of spirituality and spiritual care. An exploratory design using both qualitative and quantitative methods was used in this study. The participants were nurses who were enrolled in a Master of Nursing Research. Data were collected via an open questionnaire. Furthermore, participants completed the Meaning in Life Scale (MiLS-Sp), whose results were analysed using quantitative methodology. The results that were obtained from the quantitative analyses reported a satisfactory mean score on nurses’ self-reported spirituality. Qualitative data were analysed using grounded theory procedures. Qualitative analysis showed two approaches to spirituality nurses’ views: (i) a clinical approach that influenced by the context of their clinical practice and (ii) an alternative approach where spirituality was viewed as a health resource, moving away from the biomedical model of nursing training. Nurses are sensitive to spirituality issues and acknowledge their importance to practice. Despite this, they view spirituality in a rather mechanistic way without changing their attitudes, competences and perspectives on healthcare.

An Exploratory Study of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Among Malaysian Nurses

The increasing evidence that spirituality is a critical component for promoting health and well-being has made spirituality more significant to nursing practice. However, although nurses' perceptions of spirituality have been studied in western countries, there has been little research on this topic in Southeast Asian countries where religions other than Christianity predominate. This study explores Malaysian nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care and examines associations between socio-demographics and their perceptions. The Malaysian Nurse Forum Facebook closed group was used for data collection with 208 completed the online survey. The participants considered that spirituality is a fundamental aspect of nursing. Nonetheless, half of the respondents were uncertain regarding the use of the spiritual dimension for individuals with no religious affiliation. Significant differences were found between educational levels in mean scores for spirituality and spiritual care. There was also a positive relationship between perception of spirituality and spiritual care among the respondents. Despite the positive perceptions of nurses of spirituality in nursing care, the vast majority of nurses felt that they required more education and training relating to spiritual aspects of care, delivered within the appropriate cultural context.

“Enablement”—Spirituality Engagement in Pre-Registration Nurse Education and Practice: A Grounded Theory Investigation

Historically, spirituality in nursing was considered a fundamental dimension, contributing to patients’ wellbeing. Accordingly, nurses are expected to attend to the spiritual needs of patients as a part of holistic nursing care, and pre-registration nurse education (that is undergraduate nurse education) has a responsibility to equip them to fulfil this aspect of their role. However, the content of spirituality in nurse education programmes lack structure and consistency, hence further investigation into the value of such education and its transferability in clinical practice is needed. Data collection was by individual interviews with 13 pre-registration participants undertaking adult nursing between March 2012 and May 2014. Each interview was digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Through theoretical sampling, data collection and analysis occurred in a cyclical manner until theoretical saturation/sufficiency was reached. The participants’ main concerns were: explaining spirituality, remembering spirituality education and content, and uncertainties about facilitating patients’ spiritual needs; these combine to form ‘having sufficient spirituality education to facilitate patients’ spiritual needs’. The substantive theory of ‘Enablement’ (make possible) was constructed to explain how the participants resolved their main concern. This investigation reveals how the participants acquire and translate spirituality education to practice, so realising holistic care.

Perception of Spirituality and Spiritual Care among Muslim Nurses in Indonesia

This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine 256 Muslim nurses' perception of spirituality and spiritual care in Indonesia. The Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) was translated and culturally adapted. Moderately high degrees in five domains and total SSCRS were found. Specialty, education level, clinical seniority, having spiritual training, and previous spiritual caring experience could impact on the SSCRS. Most nurses have cared for patients with spiritual needs, but denied having any formal training in providing spiritual care. Providing adequate curriculum and on-job training to equip nurses' knowledge and competence of spiritual care is urgent in Muslim healthcare environment.

Nursing Students' Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care; An Example of Turkey

This descriptive survey study aimed to explore how nursing students perceive spirituality/spiritual care and investigate the variables acting on their perception. Data were collected using the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale with 500 students from the Faculty of Nursing. The students' median score regarding their perception of spirituality and spiritual care indicates a "conceptual confusion" related with these concepts. Female students have higher scale scores than male students (z = 2.19, p < 0.05). Students' awareness of spirituality and related concepts, and their acquisition of spiritual care skills will allow them to provide spiritual care after graduation.

Aligning Islamic Spirituality to Medical Imaging

This paper attempts to conceptualize Islamic spirituality in medical imaging that deals with the humanistic and technical dimensions. It begins with establishing an understanding concerning spirituality, an area that now accepted as part of patient-centred care. This is followed by discussions pertaining to Islamic spirituality, related to the practitioner, patient care and the practice. Possible avenues towards applying Islamic spirituality in medical imaging are proposed. It is hoped that the resultant harmonization between Islamic spirituality and the practice will trigger awareness and interests pertaining to the role of a Muslim practitioner in advocating and enhancing Islamic spirituality.

Student Perspective Improves Spiritual Care Curriculum

Spiritual nursing care is a fundamental aspect of care often unobserved during students' clinical experiences. A nursing student shares her disillusionment about the lack of spiritual care she observed during a clinical rotation. Her instructor used the negative experience to identify areas for curriculum improvement to develop and address the lack of spiritual nursing care education.

Spirituality and spiritual care perspectives among baccalaureate nursing students in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

No study has been undertaken to understand how spirituality and spiritual care is perceived and implemented by Saudi nursing students undergoing training for their future professional roles as nurses.

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to investigate the perception of Baccalaureate nursing students toward spirituality and spiritual care.

DESIGN

A descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 338 baccalaureate nursing students in two government-run universities in Saudi Arabia was included in this study.

METHODS

A self-administered questionnaire, consisting of a demographic and spiritual care background information sheet and the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale Arabic version (SCGS-A), was used for data collection. A multivariate multiple regression analysis and multiple linear regression analyses were performed accordingly.

RESULTS

The mean value on the SCGS-A was 3.84±1.26. Spiritual perspective received the highest mean (4.14±1.45), followed by attribute for spiritual care (3.96±1.48), spiritual care attitude (3.81±1.47), defining spiritual care (3.71±1.51) and spiritual care values (3.57±1.47). Gender, academic level and learning spiritual care from classroom or clinical discussions showed a statistically significant multivariate effect on the five factors of SCGS-A.

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts should be done to formally integrate holistic concept including all the facets of spirituality and spiritual care in the nursing curriculum. The current findings can be used to inform the development and testing of holistic nursing conceptual framework in nursing education in Saudi Arabia and other Arab Muslim countries.

A critical analysis of scales to measure the attitude of nurses toward spiritual care and the frequency of spiritual nursing care activities

Quantitative studies have assessed nurses' attitudes toward and frequency of spiritual care [SC] and which factors are of influence on this attitude and frequency. However, we had doubts about the construct validity of the scales used in these studies. Our objective was to evaluate scales measuring nursing SC. Articles about the development and psychometric evaluation of SC scales have been identified, using, Web of Science, and CINAHL, and evaluated with respect to the psychometric properties and item content of the scales. Item content was evaluated by each of the five authors with respect to the following questions: Does the item (1) reflect a general opinion about SC instead of a personal willingness to offer SC; (2) reflect general psychosocial care instead of specific SC; (3) focus solely on religious care; (4) contain the words 'spiritual' (care/needs/health/strengths, etc.); and (5) contain multiple propositions, or have an unclear meaning? We found eight scales. Psychometric analysis of these scales was often meager and the items of all but one scale suffered from two or more of the five problems described above. This leads us to conclude that many quantitative results in this area are based on findings with questionable scales. Suggestions for improvements are provided.

A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study of Occupational Therapy Students' Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Occupational Therapy Education

Spirituality and spiritual care both have received increased attention over the course of this past decade from different disciplines. However, for many years, in the occupational therapy profession, the importance of spirituality and spiritual care seems to be controversial because it is unclear how these concepts are integrated in occupational therapy education. Although occupational therapy students are being educated to consider a holistic and client-centred approach, spirituality is not regarded within this framework which diminishes the integrity of holistic approach. In South African occupational therapy education, it is unclear whether any single course on teaching and learning of spirituality and spiritual care exists. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe occupational therapy students' perceptions and attitudes regarding spirituality and spiritual care in occupational therapy education. A cross-sectional descriptive study design of undergraduate occupational therapy students from one educational institution was used. Data included demographic characteristics, responses on Spiritual Care-Giving Scale (SCGS), Spiritual and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) and Spirituality in Occupational Therapy Scale (SOTS). A response rate of 50.5 % (n = 100 out of 198) was achieved. In the SCGS, among the factors only factor 1 had the highest mean value score showing consistent agreement about spirituality, whereas in the SSCRS only three factors were found to have highest mean score and one with lowest mean score. In SOTS, participants had a highest score mean in relation to formal education and training about spirituality. Thus, in the integration of spirituality and spiritual care a holistic approach needs to be considered in education to enhance students' knowledge of how to address mind, body and spirit needs.

Religious beliefs and practices in pregnancy and labour: an inductive qualitative study among post-partum women in Ghana

BACKGROUND

Religiosity in health care delivery has attracted some attention in contemporary literature. The religious beliefs and practices of patients play an important role in the recovery of the patient. Pregnant women and women in labour exhibit their faith and use religious artefacts. This phenomenon is poorly understood in Ghana. The study sought to investigate the religious beliefs and practices of post-partum Ghanaian women.

METHODS

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted inductively involving 13 women who were sampled purposively. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted in English, Ga, Twi and Ewe. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Concurrent analysis was done employing the principles of content analysis. Ethical approval was obtained for the study and anonymity and confidentiality were ensured.

RESULTS

Themes generated revealed religious beliefs and practices such as prayer, singing, thanksgiving at church, fellowship and emotional support. Pastors' spiritual interventions in pregnancy included prayer and revelations, reversing negative dreams, laying of hands and anointing women. Also, traditional beliefs and practices were food and water restrictions and tribal rituals. Religious artefacts used in pregnancy and labour were anointing oil, blessed water, sticker, blessed white handkerchief, blessed sand, Bible and Rosary. Family influence and secrecy were associated with the use of artefacts.

CONCLUSIONS

Religiosity should be a key component of training health care professionals so that they can understand the religious needs of their clients and provide holistic care. We concluded that pregnant women and women in labour should be supported to exercise their religious beliefs and practices.

Psychometric Properties of the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale-Arabic Version in Saudi Nursing Students

AIM

To evaluate the psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale (SCGS) in a sample of Saudi nursing students.

METHOD

A convenience sample of 202 Saudi nursing students was included in this descriptive cross-sectional study. The 35-item Arabic version of the SCGS (SCGS-A) was tested for internal consistency, stability reliability, content validity, and construct validity.

FINDINGS

The SCGS-A manifested acceptable internal consistency and stability reliability with computed Cronbach's alpha ranges from .84 to .94, and an intraclass correlation coefficient of .97. The item-level content validity index ranged from .83 to 1, and the scale-level content validity index (average) was .98. The principal component analysis revealed five dominant components with eigenvalues greater than 1, and a cumulative contribution rate of 62.0%. The five factors were moderately to strongly correlated ( r = .29-.56; p < .001) with each other and with the overall SCGS-A score ( r = .57-.77; p < .001).

CONCLUSION

The SCGS-A manifested an acceptable reliability and validity in Saudi nursing students, which supports its sound psychometric properties. With the establishment of this valid and reliable tool, timely and accurate assessment of student nurses' perceptions about spirituality and spiritual care can be facilitated.

Iranian nurses’ professional competence in spiritual care in 2014

Background:

The holistic approach views the human as a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual being. Evidence suggests that among these dimensions, the spiritual one is largely ignored in healthcare settings.

Objectives:

This study aimed to evaluate Iranian nurses’ perceived professional competence in spiritual care, the relationship between perceived competence and nurses’ personal characteristics, and barriers to provide spiritual care.

Research design:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the year 2014.

Participants and research context:

The study population consisted of nurses working in teaching hospitals in Kashan city. Using a stratified, systematic random method, 250 samples were selected from a total of 1400 nurses. An indigenous instrument was used to assess the nurses’ competencies in spiritual care.

Ethical considerations:

A research ethics committee approved the study. All the participants were briefed on the study aims, were assured of the confidentiality of their personal information, and signed a written informed consent.

Results:

Among a total of 250 nurses, 239 answered the questionnaire completely, and in total, 23%, 51%, and 26% had poor, moderate, and favorable competence in spiritual care, respectively. No significant differences were found between the mean competence scores of spiritual care in terms of gender, marital status, employment status, and level of qualification. Significant difference was found between nurses’ overall score of competence in spiritual care and receiving training on spiritual care, nurses’ position, and the ward they worked in.

Discussion:

Confirming the findings of the international literature, this study puts light on the situation of nurses’ perceived competence and barriers to providing spiritual care in Iran as an eastern and Islamic context.

Conclusion:

Three-quarters of the nurses had moderate or unfavorable competence in spiritual care. Due to the crucial role of spiritual care in quality of care and patient satisfaction, nurses should be trained and supported to provide spiritual care.

Spirituality in pre-registration nurse education and practice: A review of the literature

Spirituality is known to be an integral part of holistic care, yet research shows that it is not well valued or represented in nurse education and practice. However, the nursing profession continues to make efforts to redress the balance by issuing statements and guidance for the inclusion of spirituality by nurses in their practice. A systematic literature review was undertaken and confirms that nurses are aware of their lack of knowledge, understanding and skills in the area of spirituality and spiritual care, and desire to be better informed and skilled in this area. Consequently, in order for nurses to support the spiritual dimension of their role, nurse education has a vital part to play in raising spiritual awareness and facilitating competence and confidence in this domain. The literature review also reveals that studies involving pre-registration are few, but those available do provide examples of innovation and various teaching methods to deliver this topic in nursing curricular.

The efficacy of integrating spirituality into undergraduate nursing curricula

Background:

Attention to patients’ spirituality, as a moral obligation of care, is now widely accepted in nursing practice. However, until recently, many nursing programs have paid little attention to spirituality.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to identify the impact of two different curricula, used to teach undergraduate nursing students, on increasing nursing student awareness of spirituality in the care of patients.

Research design:

A quasi-experimental post-intervention two-group design was conducted in 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 academic years.

Participants and research context:

The study included a total of 130 volunteer senior-year students. The students were assigned as “the intervention group/integrated system” that were informed about spirituality or as “the control group/traditional system” that received no information on spirituality. Data were collected via a personal information form and the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale was used to assess responses. The study was conducted at the Department of Nursing of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Cumhuriyet University, in Central Anatolia/Turkey.

Ethical considerations:

Permission to conduct the study at the nursing school was obtained from the schools’ management teams. The rights of the participants were protected in this study by obtaining informed consent.

Findings:

The results revealed that the intervention group had a higher mean score on the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale than did the control group. The students in the intervention group defined the terms of spirituality and spiritual care more accurately than did the control group students.

Discussion:

Nurses are professionally and ethically responsible for providing spiritual care. Nurses’ competence in meeting the spiritual needs of their patients should be improved by undergraduate education on spiritual care. Nursing scholars reported a significant difference in the knowledge and attitudes toward spirituality of nursing students as a result of the integration of spirituality into the undergraduate nursing curriculum.

Conclusion:

Spirituality should be more widely included in nursing education.