Intensive Care Nurses' Perspectives on Providing Spiritual Care in Denmark: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Spiritual Care
• Intensive Care

Background:

• Spiritual care is a crucial aspect of holistic patient care, particularly in high-stress environments like the intensive care unit (ICU).
• Understanding nurses' perspectives is vital for developing effective spiritual care strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how intensive care nurses in Denmark define and experience the provision of spiritual care.
• To gain insights into the challenges and rewards associated with delivering spiritual care in the ICU.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach.
• Semi-structured interviews with five purposefully selected intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in Denmark.
• Thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke's framework.

Main Results:

• Nurses view spiritual care as essential yet challenging to define, often involving empathy and connection with patients and families.
• Key themes included defining spiritual care, empathy in suffering, knowing the patient/family, and prioritizing spiritual care amidst clinical demands.
• Spiritual care was integrated by recognizing patient humanity and incorporating life values.

Conclusions:

• Spiritual care is an integral, albeit difficult to articulate, component of intensive care nursing practice.
• Nurses strive to balance spiritual care needs with the demanding clinical environment of the ICU.
• Further research should investigate patient perspectives on spiritual care in secular contexts like Denmark.