SPIRITUAL CARE INCLUSION IN THE UNDERGRADUATE NURSING CURRICULUM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FACULTY

Abstract

Background/Significance: Nursing is the blend of art and science of caring as nurses provide care to their clients and their clients’ families through a holistic approach that encompasses the whole person; their mind, body, and spirit (Klebanoff & Hess, 2013). Research shows that caring for a client’s spirit is an essential part of holistic nursing practice because an individual’s spiritual self is central to their overall health and well-being (Ross et al., 2014). A barrier to providing spiritual care is nurses lack of knowledge and understanding on how to recognize and respond to an individual’s spiritual distress. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore nursing educators’ perceptions of curriculum content to prepare nurses to address the spiritual care of their clients. Methods: Thirty-three nurse educators teaching in baccalaureate nursing programs across the United States were interviewed via ZOOM utilizing a semi-structured interview guide. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants consisted of nurse educators (N = 33), who met the inclusion criteria. Nursing educators participating in the study emphasized they felt spiritual care content in the baccalaureate nursing curriculum needs to have more emphasis and be included in a structured manner. They felt spiritual care content should be threaded throughout the curriculum and be included in both didactic and clinical courses.