Mediating Effect of Perceived Professional Benefit on the Relationship Between Spiritual Health and Spiritual Care...

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between spiritual health and spiritual care competence among new nurses and explore the mediating role of perceived professional benefit in this relationship. Background: Spiritual care is an integral part of holistic nursing. The ability to deliver spiritual care to patients, known as spiritual care competence, is increasingly being recognized as a crucial occupational skill for nurses, particularly new nurses. Thus, understanding the level of spiritual care competence among new nurses and identifying the factors associated with it have become matters of priority. Methods: In the cross-sectional online study, 299 new nurses were selected using convenience sampling from 10 tertiary hospitals in prefecture-level cities, in Henan Province, China, from March to April 2021. Participants' sociodemographic characteristics, spiritual health, perceived professional benefit, and spiritual care competence were assessed. The mediation model was examined using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results: The results showed a positive correlation between spiritual health, perceived professional benefit, and spiritual care competence (both p < 0.01). Furthermore, spiritual health had a direct effect on spiritual care competence (effect = 0.187). The association between spiritual health and spiritual care competence was mediated by perceived professional benefit (effect = 0.382). Conclusion: Perceived professional benefit was a mediator in the link between spiritual health and spiritual care competence among new nurses. Implications for Nursing Management: This study's findings underscore the need to promote the spiritual care competence of new nurses in China. Healthcare managers can not only directly promote the spiritual care competence of new nurses by cultivating their spiritual health but also indirectly by enhancing their professional benefits.