Related Experiment Videos
Nurses' Experiences with Spiritual Care in Paediatric Palliative Care: A Systematic Review
Sergej Kmetec1, Anja Veber2, Irena Maguša3
1Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Žitna Ulica 15, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 15, 2026
Summary
Nurses find spiritual care vital in pediatric palliative care but often lack training and support. Enhancing nurse education in spiritual assessment and communication is crucial for better patient and family support.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Nursing
- Spirituality
Background:
- Spiritual care is integral to holistic pediatric palliative care.
- Nurses frequently report inadequate preparation for addressing spiritual needs of critically ill children and families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore nurses' experiences providing spiritual care to seriously ill/dying children.
- To identify facilitators and barriers to spiritual care provision in pediatric palliative care.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
- Searched CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, SAGE up to November 2025.
- Thematic synthesis of ten included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies.
Main Results:
- Identified nurses' engagement with spirituality as a core theme.
- Sub-themes included managing emotional responses and maintaining family-centered support.
- Nurses recognize spiritual care's importance but face challenges in consistent delivery.
Conclusions:
- Nurses acknowledge the essential role of spiritual care in pediatric palliative settings.
- Competence and institutional support are often lacking for consistent spiritual care.
- Recommendations include enhanced education on spiritual assessment, communication, ethics, and debriefing.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Ethical Issues
Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:25Continuing Care
Continuing care describes the variety of health, personal, and social services provided over a prolonged period. The need for continuing care is increasing because people are living longer. Many people do not have families or others to care for them. Continuing care is mainly for patients who are disabled, functionally dependent, or suffering from a terminal disease. It is available within institutional settings or in homes. Examples include nursing centers or facilities, assisted living,...
01:17Ethical Dilemmas I
Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
01:29Aims Of Nursing
Nursing involves independent, cooperative, person-centered care for people of all ages, families, groups, and communities. Nurses assist the sick or the well person in all settings. Nursing includes promoting health, preventing illness, and caring for ill, disabled, and dying people. Health promotion encourages people to take responsibility for their health. It focuses on the healthy behavior of individuals, families, and the community and the factors that impact their health. Examples of...
01:22The Professional Nurse
Professional nurses are not limited to bedside care and are taking roles of greater responsibility. A nurse should have a knowledge-based practice, including personal, theoretical, procedural, cultural, and reflexive knowledge. Additionally, nurses must be competent in cognitive, technical, interpersonal, and ethical/legal skills. Some of the best attributes of successful nurses include the following:
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Ethical principles are essential in guiding nurses to fulfill their responsibilities, focusing on the quality of nursing care and decision-making. These principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, shape the ethical framework within healthcare settings.
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...