Development of a spiritual care education matrix: Factors facilitating/hindering improvement of spiritual care competency in student nurses and midwives

Perceptions of spirituality and predictors of competence in spiritual care among nursing students in five middle eastern countries: A cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Spiritual Care is integral to holistic nursing; however, it often remains underprovided due to a lack of education.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined perceptions of spirituality and predictors of competence in spiritual care among nursing students in Middle Eastern countries.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey was used.

PARTICIPANT/SETTING

Nursing students (n = 785) from five universities in Middle Eastern countries were included.

METHODS

Participants completed the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale-Arabic and Spiritual Care Competency Scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of perceived competence in spiritual care.

RESULTS

Nursing students showed positive attitudes towards spirituality, with a mean score of 5.1 (SD = 0.60) on the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale-Arabic. However, their perceived competence in providing spiritual care was low to moderate with a mean score of 79.0 (SD = 32.0) on the Spiritual Care Competency Scale. The bivariate analysis indicated significant relationships between students' spiritual care competence and gender, previous exposure to spirituality education, willingness to undergo spirituality training, and total spirituality score. Finally, significant predictors of higher competence included regular admission status, prior spiritual education, willingness to undergo spiritual care training, and higher personal spirituality scores.

CONCLUSION

Nursing students in the Middle East have positive attitudes towards spirituality, but low to moderate competence in providing spiritual care. The influence of personal spirituality on competence underscores the importance of fostering a supportive environment for students to reflect on their beliefs. Comprehensive curriculum revisions and training programs, along with the recognition of the impact of personal spirituality, are essential to prepare future nurses for holistic people's care.

Existential communication in maternity care - Mixed method evaluation of a postgraduate short course

OBJECTIVE

The birth of a child is a significant life event, possibly accompanied by thoughts and feelings of existential turmoil, which some parents need to share. Maternity care professionals may be unprepared for this, as very few educational initiatives exist with a focus on existential communication. We evaluated the curriculum and delivery of a course in existential communication for midwives. The evaluation was based on participants' experiences of self-reported self-efficacy and self-reflection before and after participation.

METHODS

A parallel mixed methods design with pre- and post-course questionnaires and field observations. Quantitative data were evaluated using Mann-Whitney analyses, and open-ended questions and field observations were thematised for further analysis.

RESULTS

Seventy-three maternity care professionals participated in the course. Of these, 69 (95%) completed a pre-course questionnaire, and 71 (97%) a post-course questionnaire. The quantitative data found a significant difference in various participant measures such as increase in self-efficacy in existential communication and understanding of existential communication. Qualitative data from the questionnaires and field observations led to six different themes including topics such as the need for reflection with peers and the presence of existential within maternity care.

CONCLUSIONS

The course evaluation suggested an increase in participants' awareness of existential aspects of maternity care and improved self-reflection and existential awareness.

Spiritual care experiences of nurses working in intensive care units: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Most nurses working in intensive care units are unprepared to provide spiritual care to patients and they lack the competence and skills to provide spiritual care. Lack of moral evaluation of patients has negative effects on the patient. Spiritual care given to patients has effects on patient-nurse communication, general condition of the patient, and the quality of care.

AIM

This study was conducted to find out the spiritual care experiences of nurses working in intensive care units.

STUDY DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive design was used. The study was carried out with 14 nurses who were working in the intensive care units of a university hospital in eastern Turkey between May and July 2022. Two forms were created by the researcher according to the purpose of the study and the population. Inductive thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data. Ethics committee approval was obtained.

RESULTS

Ten of the nurses were women. Their ages were between 25 and 47 years, their working years ranged between 2 and 28 years, and their weekly working hours ranged between 40 to 56 hours. As a result of the thematic analysis, six themes and 18 sub-themes were determined: The themes determined are (1) Definition of spiritual care (2) Time of spiritual care, (3) Benefits of spiritual care, (4) Spiritual care practices, (5) Obstacles in providing spiritual care.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing spiritual care to patients in intensive care is a very important experience for nurses. Understanding spiritual care, recognizing its importance, and including it in nursing practice have a central significance.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Spiritual care provided in nursing profession is as important as physical care, and supporting patients in intensive care is at the heart of providing the best holistic care.

Vignettes as a novel research tool in spiritual care: A methods paper

AIMS

To discuss the construction and use of vignettes as a novel approach in spiritual care research and education.

DESIGN

Methods paper.

METHODS

In this methods paper, the authors introduce the use of vignettes in spiritual care research and provide insight into the construction of vignettes. The vignette presented was part of a study of neurosurgical nurses' attitudes and responses to the spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients. The development process, consisting of four steps, is explained in this paper.

RESULTS

Using a vignette to explore nurses' attitudes towards spiritual care is an innovative way to understand what behaviours nurses consider appropriate in situations where the patient is seeking meaning and connection. Transparent description of the development process is crucial to ensure reproducibility.

CONCLUSION

The use of theoretically constructed and validated vignettes in spiritual care research is new. Vignettes used in surveys have the potential to elicit nurses' responses to patients' search for meaning and connectedness.

IMPLICATIONS

In order to investigate nurses' attitudes and behaviours towards patients' spiritual needs, carefully constructed and validated vignettes are valuable research tools.

IMPACT

Vignettes have proven to be a valuable research tool in the social and health sciences. So far, their use as a survey instrument in spiritual care research has not been investigated. Therefore, this method paper introduces vignettes as a novel approach to spiritual care research. Our findings contribute to the further development of vignettes in nursing science, as there are similarities with case development and simulation training in nursing education.

REPORTING METHOD

Reporting guideline is not applicable.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Strengths and challenges with spiritual care: Student feedback from the EPICC Spiritual Care Self-Assessment Tool

AIM

To explore qualitative data from students' self-reported competencies in spiritual care gathered during testing of a student self-assessment tool based on the EPICC Spiritual Care Education Standard.

DESIGN

Reflexive thematic analysis of qualitative data from a multinational study on validating a new self-assessment tool.

METHODS

The EPICC Spiritual Care Education Standard for competency in spiritual care was developed to enhance nurses' and midwives' ability to provide spiritual care by creating a baccalaureate education standard for spiritual care competencies. Spiritual care researchers then developed a self-assessment tool to raise student awareness of spirituality and track personal and professional growth in spiritual care competency. The EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool, tested at eight universities in five countries, provided many opportunities for student comments, resulting in rich qualitative data presented here.

RESULTS

Themes related to strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. Identified strengths were similar across countries: caring attitudes, general knowledge of caring and compassion and good communication skills. Weaknesses/challenges touched on spirituality as overlooked in some cultures but part of life for others, complex questions were hard to understand, and self-assessment tools are common for some and rare for others. Areas for improvement included need for knowledge of religious and other deeply held beliefs and for greater spiritual assessment skills. Similarities across countries related to basic training in communication and compassionate care for nurses globally. Differences lay in the challenges and/or barriers for spiritual care and may relate to cultures within countries and/or university test sites.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The Tool raises awareness of spirituality among students and working nurses, providing an accessible way to self-check personal and professional growth in spiritual care competencies, which increases student and nurse capacity to become more knowledgeable and skilled in facilitating spiritual care, thus be role models for students at the intersection of spirituality and health.

"Turn It over to God": Faith Enhances Mental Health of Rural Appalachian Older Adults

In Appalachia, rates of depression and suicidality are higher than national averages. Additional disparities of age, geographic isolation, economic distress, and mental healthcare provider shortages contribute to mental health challenges among rural Appalachian older adults (RAOAs). Based on ethnonursing research in East Tennessee, this article expands on findings about how RAOA faith beliefs and practices enhance mental health. Faith was found to decrease worry, improve coping, facilitate a sense of peace, and deepen thankfulness and joy. Implications for nursing practice and education indicate the importance of providing spiritual care to promote mental health and well-being for this vulnerable population.

Spiritual Care in Action for Oncology Patients in the uMgungundlovu and eThekwini Health Districts, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: A Qualitative Study

Introduction

Globally the inclusion of spiritual activities has been well adopted into nursing care. Empirical work related to the inclusion of spiritual activities in nursing within the South African context particularly within the oncology setting is sparse. Being diagnosed with cancer can be unsettling because of the severity and vigorous treatment that one has to endure. Spiritual activities could be used as one of the coping strategies for cancer patients in times of spiritual distress. Strengthening spiritual care by including spiritual activities into daily nursing care could be beneficial to the patient and the institution.

Objective

This study aimed to explore spiritual activities that could strengthen spiritual care in oncology nursing practice.

Methods

The research study followed a phenomenological qualitative descriptive design. The study population consisted of professional nurses working in the oncology units for more than 6 months. Four health care institutions were purposively selected. Data was collected through individual in-depth interviews and field notes. Ten professional nurses were recruited at the point of data saturation. Data analysis followed inductively using content analysis enrolling steps from Elo and Kyngas.

Results

The findings revealed the nurse's willingness to embrace spiritual care in action into their daily nursing care. Three subthemes: holding patient's hands, hospital policy for patient visits, and music therapy outline how patients are comforted by nurses.

Conclusion

Nurses are integral in the provision of spiritual care for cancer patients from diagnosis up until the end of life. The essence of spiritual activities gives patients a distraction and an escape from their pain and predicament thus improving their quality of life. The findings provide policy makers with an indication that patients do not only need medical and physical care but spiritual care in their nursing care plan.

The correlation between spiritual care competence and spiritual health among Iranian nurses

Background

Considering the importance of spiritual aspects of human beings, spiritual care provision is increasingly recognized as a major duty of healthcare providers, particularly nursing staff. Spiritual care competence is necessary for the nurses to be able to provide spiritual care, but the competence itself is associated with other variables. This study aimed to investigate if the spiritual care competence of nurses is related to their spiritual health.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 172 practicing nurses in hospitals affiliated with Qom University of Medical Sciences, selected through stratified random sampling. Participants completed the Persian versions of the Spiritual Health Questionnaire (Amiri) and the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (Van Leeuwen). To examine the correlation between nurses’ spiritual health and spiritual care competence, a Spearman coefficient was used and a linear regression analysis was done to determine the predictability of the spiritual care competence of the nurses. The data were analyzed using SPSS v.23 and the significance level was set at 0.05.

Results

The participants showed a mean (SD) score of 108.93 (19.04) on spiritual care competence and 213.38 (16.49) on spiritual health. Spiritual care competence of nurses showed no significant relationship with demographic characteristics and their spiritual health had a significant relationship with gender only. Correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between spiritual health and spiritual care competence and their subscales. Moreover, the linear regression analysis indicated that the nurses’ performance regarding spiritual health can predict their spiritual care competence.

Conclusion

The study revealed that the spiritual care competence of nurses is correlated with their spiritual health and performance as a subscale of spiritual health can predict their spiritual care competence. Thus, it can be concluded that the spiritual health of nurses is an important factor in providing spiritual care for patients and meeting their spiritual needs.