Volume 4, Issue 2 (Spring 2018 -- 2018)                   JCCNC 2018, 4(2): 61-68 | Back to browse issues page


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Farahaninia M, Abasi M, Seyedfatemi N, JafarJalal E, Haghani H. Nurses’ Attitudes Towards Spiritual Care and Spiritual Care Practices. JCCNC 2018; 4 (2) :61-68
URL: http://jccnc.iums.ac.ir/article-1-171-en.html
1- Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. , mary_f2008@yah00.ca
2- Emam Sajjad Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Shahriar, Tehran, Iran.
3- Nursing Care Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4- Department of Nursing Management, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
5- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:   (3655 Views)
Background: Spirituality is an important dimension of human existence with a crucial role in health promotion. This study aimed to investigate nurses’ attitudes towards spiritual care and its practice.
Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The relevant data were collected by Nursing Spiritual Care Perspective Scale (NSCPS). In this study, 166 nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences were selected by proportional stratified randomized sampling method. The obtained data were analysed by descriptive statistics, including frequency, mean, and standard deviation, using SPSS V. 16. 
Results: The Mean±SD score of nurses’ attitudes towards spiritual practice was 3.67±0.51. The mean score of responses to 9 out of 11 items was above 3 indicating high range of attitude toward providing spiritual care. The Mean±SD score of nurses’ spiritual practice was 1.93±0.48. The mean score of the responses to 3 out of 12 items was above 2 indicating the nurses’ weak ability to provide spiritual care.
Conclusion: Despite nurses’ positive attitudes towards providing spiritual care, they have provided insufficient spiritual care interventions. Thus, appropriate approach for teaching spiritual merits and increasing nurses’ abilities for providing spiritual care seems necessary.
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● Spirituality is a prominent factor in achieving balance in life that maintains health and well-being.
● Holistic health care mandates attention to the spirit as well as other aspects.
● Studies indicate that nurses’ perception of their own spirituality influences how to identify the clients’ spiritual needs, plan the suitable care, and implement the proper intervention.
● Regardless of nurses’ positive attitudes towards providing spiritual care, they have insufficient skill in delivering spiritual care interventions.
Plain Language Summary
According to the holistic model, body, mind, and spirit are interrelated, so providing spiritual care is an integral feature of holistic nursing care. In other words, it is important for health care providers to include physical, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual dimensions in their therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to examine nurses’ attitudes towards spiritual care and its practices. Our results indicate that nurses should strengthen their abilities to provide spiritual care for their patients. Lack of training in spiritual care may be the main reason for not providing such care. Thus, holding inter-professional training, workshop, and in-service education are suggested. In addition, appropriate approach for teaching spiritual benefits and increasing nurses’ abilities for providing spiritual care seems necessary.

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2017/11/10 | Accepted: 2018/02/20 | Published: 2018/05/1

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