Determining the relationship between spirituality and perceptions of care in nursing students: A cross sectional study

OpenAlex İngilizce

BACKGROUND: Caring is a core value in nursing education and many of its features can be measured as specific behaviors. It is not clear how nurses' spirituality affects their caring behavior. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between spirituality and spiritual care and nursing students' perceptions of care. DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of 467 students in the nursing department of a university in Northeastern Anatolia. Data were collected using a descriptive information form, the Care Assessment Report Evaluation Q-sort (CARE-Q), and the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS). Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, t-test, analysis of variance, and Kruskal-Wallis H, Mann-Whitney U, correlation, and regression tests. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 21.14 ± 1.97 years, 55.0% were women, and 63.0% said that nursing was their preferred profession. Most of the students rated their knowledge of spirituality and spiritual care as adequate (17.6%) or partially adequate (48.0%). CARE-Q and SSCRS scores were significantly higher among female students who chose a career in nursing to help people, want to obtain their master's degree, and agreed that providing care is nurses' primary duty (p < 0.05). There was a weak positive correlation between CARE-Q and SSCRS scores (p < 0.001; r = 0.369). CONCLUSION: There was a significant relationship between CARE-Q and SSCRS scores (p < 0.05). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To promote holistic care, nursing students should be provided training on spirituality and spiritual care, with emphasis on the role of nurses in care.