Content Analysis of the Meaning of Spiritual Care as Perceived by Nursing Students / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

Purpose@#This study aimed to describe the meaning of spiritual care as perceived by nursing students. @*Methods@#This study used a descriptive research design, and the participants were 126 fourth-year nursing students from three nursing colleges. Data were collected from August to September 2019, and were analyzed using the content analysis method. @*Results@#Four themes of spiritual care with 15 sub-themes were extracted from the content analysis: 1) “promoting spiritual well-being” (sub-themes: “providing religious help”, “caring for the patient as a spiritual being”, and “presupposing human dignity regardless of religion”); 2) “taking place in actual nursing practice” (representative sub-themes: “considering the perspective of the patient”, “reducing suffering”); 3) “caring for the multifaceted needs of human beings” (representative sub-themes: “providing physical, mental, and spiritual care”, “caring for both the mental and physical health of the patient”), and 4) “growing together”(sub-themes: “positively affecting patient well-being”, “beginning with the nurse’s self-transcendence”). @*Conclusion@#These results suggest that nursing students consider spiritual care to be a highly positive and practical form of nursing care. However, because few students have been exposed to religion and spirituality, more systematic training should be provided.

Comparison of Spiritual Needs between Patients with Progressive Terminal Kidney Disease and Their Family Caregivers / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to compare differences in spiritual needs (SNs) and factors influencing SNs between patients with progressive terminal kidney disease and their family caregivers. @*Methods@#An explorative comparative survey was used to identify the SNs of patients (N=102) with progressive terminal kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis and their family caregivers (N=88) at a general hospital located in Seoul, South Korea. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, the independent t-test, one way analysis of variance, the Scheffé test, and multiple regression with dummy variables. @*Results@#The SNs among family caregivers were higher than in the patient group. SNs were higher among those who were religious in both groups. Loving others was the highest-ranked subdimension in the patient group, followed in descending order by maintaining positive perspective, finding meaning, Reevaluating beliefs and life, asking “why?”, receiving love and spiritual support, preparing for death, and relating to God. In the family group, the corresponding order was maintaining positive perspective, loving others, finding meaning, receiving love and spiritual support, preparing for death, relating to God, and asking “why?”. The factors that had a negative influence on the level of SNs were not being religious in the patient group and having only a middle school level of education in the family group. @*Conclusion@#The results of this study may serve as evidence that spiritual care for non-cancer patients’ family caregivers should be considered as an important part of hospice and palliative care.