Nursing interventions for spiritual care: preferences of the community-based elderly

This descriptive correlational study examined the relationships between the three concepts of core spiritual experience, spiritual perspective, and self-transcendence, as well as the spiritual-care nursing interventions preferred by a convenience sample of 50 community-based older adults. Results of single-session interviews indicated significant positive correlations among the three concepts. Spiritual interventions preferred by older adults were those interventions focusing on the therapeutic communication skills of the nurse and the nurse's attitude and approach toward clients. Overall, older adults who believed in a Higher Power and whose beliefs were prominent in their lifestyle rated spiritual nursing interventions as more important than did older adults who did not hold strong beliefs in a Higher Power and whose spiritual beliefs were not prominent in their lifestyle. Findings give direction for providing spiritual nursing care to older adults.