Factors influencing nurse spiritual care practices at the end of life: A systematic review

The Nursing Staff's Understandings of Spiritual Care in an Oncology Clinic in 2003 and 2023: A Mixed Method Longitudinal Study

AIM(S)

To explore the understandings of spiritual care among nursing staff at an Swedish oncology clinic, with a special focus on changes over time.

DESIGN

Qualitative, longitudinal, descriptive design.

METHODS

A questionnaire-based replication study conducted in 2003 (N = 68) and 2023 (N = 47), comparative and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The thematic analysis generated four main themes in 2023: (i) Relate to the whole person-spiritual care as an approach, (ii) enable an atmosphere of humanity and security around the patient-spiritual care as a nursing intervention, (iii) enable the patient to live out their spirituality or practice their religion-spiritual care that focuses on practical aspects directly linked to practising a religion and (iv) awareness of the importance of one's own approach to spiritual care-spiritual care that focuses on the personal qualities of the caregiver. Compared with 2003, there are many similarities but also some differences: the importance of one's own approach is more emphasised in 2023, and there is an increased awareness that nursing interventions can be different depending on who the patient is and who the caregiver is; spiritual care is more clearly characterised by an effort to relate to the whole person and the understanding of what can/should be included in the framework of spiritual care is broader.

CONCLUSION

The concept of 'spiritual care' can change over time and can depend on societal changes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE

When studying understandings of the concept of 'spiritual care' in a nursing context or evaluating studies on the topic, the stability of the concept of 'spiritual care' over time should be accounted for.

REPORTING METHOD

When applicable: SRQR.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

None.

Current situation and influencing factors of palliative care practice ability among oncology nurses: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Objectives

The study aimed to survey the current situation and explore the factors that influence the ability of palliative care practice among oncology nurses.

Methods

A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted using stratified random sampling to select 26 tertiary hospitals' oncology departments in Hubei Province, China. A total of 1,198 nurses were included and finished the questionnaire consisting of social demographic characteristics, Palliative Care Self-Report Practice Scale (PCPS), End-of-life Professional Caregiver Survey (EPCS), and Self-Perceived Pain Assessment Knowledge and Confidence Scale (Self-PAC) through the online platform. Data were analyzed using t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis in SPSS 26.0.

Results

The total score for PCPS was 67.17 ± 12.57, the three dimensions' scores were: physical symptom care (32.50 ± 6.10), spiritual and psychological care (23.35 ± 4.97), communication (11.58 ± 2.48). There are significant positive correlations between the palliative care practice ability and core competence (r = 0.77, P < 0.01), as well as pain assessment ability (r = 0.56, P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis identified female, with high education background (bachelor's degree and master's degree or above), interest in palliative care, pain assessment ability, and core competence were positive predictors of palliative care practice ability (Adjusted R 2 = 0.668, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The overall ability of the oncology nurses to practice palliative care was relatively high, but the palliative nurses reported suboptimal performance in the communication dimension of palliative nursing practice ability. To comprehensively improve oncology nurses' palliative care practice ability, managers must consider the gender structure, educational background, enthusiasm for palliative care work, core competence, and pain assessment ability.

Correlation of nurses' perception of spirituality and spiritual care with spiritual care practices in Indonesia: A cross-sectional survey

Background

Spiritual care is essential to nursing practice, contributing to holistic patient care. However, the relationship between nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care with their engagement in spiritual care practices remains underexplored, particularly in Indonesia. Understanding this relationship is crucial for enhancing the quality of care provided to patients.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the correlation between nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care with their spiritual care practices in Indonesia.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving a total of 300 nurses working in healthcare facilities across Indonesia. Data were collected via an online survey conducted from March to May 2024, using validated questionnaires: the Indonesian adaptation of the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) and the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutic Scale (NSCTS). Spearman Rank Correlation was used to assess the relationship between nurses' perceptions of spirituality and their engagement in spiritual care practices.

Results

The study found that nurses held a positive perception of spirituality, with a mean score of 3.85 (SD = 0.41) regarding statements related to spirituality and spiritual care. However, they reported providing spiritual care only occasionally, with an average frequency of 3-6 times over a 72 to 80-hour work period. There was a significant positive correlation (r = 0.235, p <0.001) of nurses' perception of spirituality and spiritual care with their engagement in spiritual care practices.

Conclusion

The study highlights the need for targeted education and training to enhance nurses' competencies in spiritual care practices. Addressing spiritual needs is vital for holistic patient care, and improving nurses' perceptions and practices in this area can significantly benefit patient well-being.

Spirituality, Religiosity, Caring Behavior, Spiritual Care, and Personalized Care Among Student Nurses: A Descriptive Correlational Study in the Philippines

This study sought to determine the student nurses' spirituality, religiosity, caring behavior, spiritual care, and personalized care. Further, it sought to determine the relationship between spirituality, religiosity, and caring behavior in student nurses' spiritual care and personalized care. The study used a descriptive correlational design using convenience sampling to collect data from 1248 student nurses in the Philippines from December 2023 to February 2024. We collected data using the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Scale rating scale and the Caring Behaviors Inventory. The study revealed that the mean scores of the students in their "spirituality" and "religiosity" were 4.08 (SD = 0.98) and 2.99 (SD = 1.26), respectively. Student nurses had sufficient confidence and skills in spiritual care, caring behavior, and personalized care. The students' age had a weak and negative association with the students' spirituality and religiosity. Students from University A had higher levels of spirituality and religiosity than students from University B, University C, and University D. Students in the 4th year level were more religious than 3rd year students. Students who had their last clinical exposure in the Admission and emergency room reported poorer caring behaviors than those who had previous clinical exposure in the Medical-surgical ward, Obstetrics and gynecology, Intensive Care Units, and Community. There is no significant relationship between a student nurse's spiritual care and caring behavior. This trend is similar to caring behavior and personalized care. The students' age predicts their personalized care.

Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale: Validation Among Nurses Who Care for Patients With Life-Threatening Illnesses in South Korea

Although clinical and empirical literature documents the variety of spiritual care interventions available to palliative care clinicians, the frequency with which they are provided is rarely and inadequately measured. Given the growing interest in implementing spiritual care across Asia, including South Korea, this study sought to cross-culturally validate the Korean version of the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale (NSCTS-K), a scale initially developed in the United States. The World Health Organization process for cross-cultural adaptation of scales and Polit and Yang's process for evaluating validation were implemented. With data from a sample of 252 Korean nurses providing care to patients with life-threatening illnesses, various statistical procedures for evaluating validity and reliability were applied during this cross-sectional, observational study. Exploratory factor analysis for the structural validity of the Korean scale generated 3 factors that accounted for 69.40% of the variance. The Cronbach α was 0.95. The NSCTS-K is one of the few scales available to determine the impact of nurse-provided spiritual care frequency on patient outcomes. Thus, this tool can quantify the frequency of spiritual care better and be used in quality improvement initiatives or palliative care research.