Content Analysis of the Meaning of Spiritual Care as Perceived by Nursing Students

This study aimed to describe the meaning of spiritual care as perceived by nursing students.

This study used a descriptive research design, and the participants were 126 fourth-year nursing students from three nursing colleges. Data were collected from August to September 2019, and were analyzed using the content analysis method.

Four themes of spiritual care with 15 sub-themes were extracted from the content analysis 1) "promoting spiritual well-being" (sub-themes "providing religious help", "caring for the patient as a spiritual being", and "presupposing human dignity regardless of religion"); 2) "taking place in actual nursing practice" (representative sub-themes "considering the perspective of the patient", "reducing suffering"); 3) "caring for the multifaceted needs of human beings" (representative sub-themes "providing physical, mental, and spiritual care", "caring for both the mental and physical health of the patient"), and 4) "growing together" (sub-themes "positively affecting patient well-being", "beginning with the nurse's self-transcendence").

These results suggest that nursing students consider spiritual care to be a highly positive and practical form of nursing care. However, because few students have been exposed to religion and spirituality, more systematic training should be provided.