The spiritual dimension: why the absence within nursing curricula?

This article explores the complex barriers which may have prevented the formal integration of the spiritual dimension within programmes of nurse education in the UK. These barriers have been termed intrinsic (arising from within the educational institutions themselves) and extrinsic (reflecting society's and individuals' values, beliefs and cultural norms). It is argued that these barriers have slowed down curriculum innovation and change, preventing the spiritual dimension from receiving due recognition within programmes of nurse education.