"Nurses’ Perceptions of Faith, Religion, and Spirituality in Healthcare" by Allison Spong
Updated: 1 day ago
Nurses’ Perceptions of Faith, Religion, and Spirituality in Healthcare
Allison Spong, Dominican University New York
Abstract
Faith, spirituality, and religion can play a significant role in a patient’s path to recovery from serious illness. Nurses may not implement faith, spirituality, and religion into practice because they fail to recognize their importance; however, given the growing body of research supporting their role in recovery, perceptions must change. A review of available literature yielded no studies of the role of faith, spirituality, and religion in patient recovery or healthcare training. However, several studies conducted in Turkey and Iran have demonstrated that nurses recognize the importance of faith, religion, and spirituality in healthcare but often lack the education and training necessary to effectively integrate spiritual care into clinical practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the educational preparation, practitioner perception, and integration of spiritual care into nursing practice in the United States. This study was completed by providing surveys to practicing nurses in hospitals in the Northeast and Midwest. 54% of participants reported receiving no formal education on spiritual care, but 56% instead received informal education through on-the-job training; however, there was no significant difference in sufficiency between formal and informal education. Many participants reported wanting more formal education to understand how to adequately provide spiritual care. The majority of participants (69%) reported feeling comfortable having brief conversations with their patients regarding their spiritual and religious concerns, but how they choose to address these concerns, say otherwise; the majority of participants (41%) refer to chaplaincy. These findings suggest the need for more education for nurses to effectively address the spiritual needs of their patients and to improve patient care outcomes.
Background and Literature Review
The importance of faith, spirituality, and religion in healthcare, along with the importance of our healthcare providers being culturally sensitive to these elements, is a rising concern in society today. Integrating these elements into healthcare practices is an integral part of holistic care. Holistic care is the interrelation of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being needs of patients (Moran, 2024). When patients are dealing with distress, pain, or health crises, many find comfort in their religion and spirituality. Some researchers have found that spirituality provides more than comfort. The integration of faith, religion, and spirituality into healthcare practices has been found to be integral in patients’ decision-making, satisfaction with care, and overall quality of life (Sulmasy, 2024). Many believe that their religion and healthcare decisions combined play a critical role in their healing journey (AdventHealth University, 2020).
Research has shown the benefits that spiritual care and the integration of faith and religion play in a patient’s healing process. In the book, Integrating Religion and Spirituality into the Biopsychosocial Model, King et al. (2000) report that the addition of spirituality into the biopsychosocial model improved the health outcomes of patients and advocated for stronger patient-provider relationships. A strong patient-provider relationship is essential to the trust that is expected to be developed at the time of admission, and obtaining a thorough spiritual history promotes this rapport. Similarly, Jutchenko (2015) highlights the importance of spirituality being addressed in healthcare, with an emphasis on mental health. It was found that the spiritual needs of patients should be addressed because it benefits their emotional, physical, and mental well-being, along with fostering the patient-provider relationship. This was supported by the finding that spirituality is an integral part of many patients’ daily lives and, therefore, should be considered as part of their individualized plan of care.
The integration of spiritual care into nursing practice has been found to have a positive impact on patient care outcomes. Subrata (2020) explains that the four competencies for spiritual care in nursing include the following: the nurse must act as both a professional and individual; spiritual care should be delivered using the nursing process; interdisciplinary care and communication should be provided; and all decisions must be made using ethical judgment. The result of following these is improved biological, physical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual well-being. Subrata (2020) studied the effects of implementing spiritual care for patients recovering from lower extremity amputation caused by diabetic foot ulcers. Subrata (2020) found that using spiritual care as a part of patient-centered care contributed to the improvement of patients' ability to self-manage their diabetes. This is because patients with diabetic foot ulcers can overcome psychological issues (i.e., depression, stress, anxiety, grief following the loss of a limb, etc.) with a combination of spiritual and palliative care. Similarly, a research study conducted to analyze the spiritual care needs of oncology patients receiving chemotherapy found that spiritual care aids these patients in their ability to cope with psychological problems many of them experience, such as anxiety, hopelessness, and depression (Kirca et al., 2024). Spiritual care, which is a basic component of holistic care that helps to encompass the complete biopsychosocial dimension, will increase the quality of care provided to patients during their time of need.
Additionally, research has found benefits not only for patients, but for nurses as well. In a study evaluating nurses and their awareness of spirituality and spiritual care, as well as the potential benefits in accordance with them, Zeng et al. (2023) found that there was a positive correlation between the perception of spirituality and spiritual care and the perception of spiritual benefits. This encouraged nurses to enhance their perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care to improve their personal psychological well-being. This is important because it emphasizes facilitating improved physical and mental health efforts for nurses regarding their professional benefits.
Nurses play a significant role in providing spiritual care, as they spend more time at the bedside than any other healthcare provider. Spiritual care is responsible for treating the inner soul and attending to patients’ religious needs while they are healing emotionally and physically (Baycrest Centre, n.d.). Culturally sensitive spiritual care requires the development of spiritual competency. Nurses must be able to self-reflect on their personal beliefs, educate and train themselves in cultural differences, and respect patient autonomy (Moran, 2024). To do this, nurses (along with patients) must understand the differences between faith, spirituality, and religion, even though these terms are often used interchangeably. Faith is the guiding principle of spirituality and religion, while religion is the structure of a belief system, and spirituality is the defining spiritual nature of your soul (Newman, 2004). Spirituality and religion need faith as a necessary foundation, but faith does not require religion and spirituality; however, they are important elements to determine how strong one’s faith is. Newman (2004) explains that it is possible for an individual to have faith (a sense of “knowing”) without being spiritual (a sense of “being”) or religious (a sense of “doing”).
As much as spiritual care and recognizing the holistic needs of patients is important, Moran (2024) explains that there is a lack of clinical integration and awareness of its necessity. Whether this is due to a lack of education and training, busy clinical settings that do not leave enough time to provide spiritual care, or unawareness due to personal biases, the actions and perceptions of nurses must change to utilize these elements while providing patient care. Given the benefits to patients, nursing education programs should include training in spiritual care in nursing curricula. A review of the literature yielded no studies on the role of spirituality training in the United States. However, there have been several studies in Turkey and Iran that offer valuable insights for US healthcare professionals. In a study designed to determine the perceptions of nurses regarding spiritual care and spirituality in the western part of Turkey, out of 289 nurses evaluated, 96.9% of them reported that they never received any training in school or while working clinically (Cetinkaya et al., 2013). Many patients consider themselves to be spiritual or faithful and, furthermore, are willing to discuss their beliefs with their healthcare providers. The result of this gap in education and training has led to minimal discussion with patients because nurses feel inept to do so (Bergamo & White, 2016). In a study evaluating the capabilities of nursing students to provide spiritual care, nurses must have the knowledge and education of the theory behind the practice (Sezer & Eyimaya, 2022). If nurses are expected to implement this type of care, they should be academically and clinically educated. Good’s (2018) findings support the importance of educational training in increasing nursing students’ awareness of spirituality, as demonstrated in a simulation study in which students who received a lecture on spirituality showed a statistically significant improvement in their perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. A lack of education, both in nursing school and on the job with continuing education courses, has a profound impact on the holistic care that patients expect and should be receiving.
As much as a lack of education has affected the integration of faith, spirituality, and religion into healthcare practices, research has shown that nurses are still aware of its clinical importance. In a study surveying 1,643 NICU nurses in Iran, it was reported, using the Spirituality and Spiritual Rating Scale, that the perceptions of spiritual care exceeded the average, due to the nurses who were interested in such care seeking out professional and personal training opportunities (Sadeghi et al., 2025). There is a growing need in the nursing industry for all healthcare providers to understand the necessity of spiritual care. Validating this, a research study evaluating nurses' understanding of spirituality and the diversity of religion among patients found that despite a lack of education and role ambiguity, the nurses reported being aware of the interconnection between care and spirituality (Murgia et al., 2022).
McDonald (2024) examined nurses’ ability to address patients’ spiritual needs and found that establishing meaningful relationships, affirming patients’ needs, and providing judgment-free, trustworthy care were essential components of spiritual care, while faith served as a foundational aspect of patient care in the absence of formal educational training. The positive perception of nurses regarding spiritual care that research shows is an important first step in advancing a more holistic and biopsychosocial approach to healthcare. Nurses have a professional responsibility to assist patients through their healing journey, encompassing the mind, body, and soul as the appropriate measure in guiding them to their highest potential for recovery.Given the lack of education and training regarding the integration of faith, religion, and spirituality into healthcare practice, which research has linked to limited awareness and confidence among nurses, changes in nursing education and academic curricula are needed. In a research study exploring the views of healthcare professionals on their personal qualifications to provide spiritual care for their patients, the researchers encouraged the promotion to increase the capacity to care for patients spiritually should be made by nursing curriculum directors (Ebrahimi, 2017). Spiritual care can be vital for a patient’s health outcome, but appropriate care can only be given if the required amount of competence is obtained by the nurse. Incorporating spiritual care training into nursing curricula emphasizes the importance of a more comprehensive, patient-centered approach to healthcare, as demonstrated in the study by Sezer and Eyimaya. If this type of care is taught beginning in nursing school, it will help to lessen the gap between education and clinical practice. The existing literature shows that despite a lack of education and training, nurses still have a positive perception of faith, religion, and spirituality in healthcare. Moreover, the literature shows the benefits that these elements have on patient care outcomes, as well as for nurses. The inconsistency between education and clinical practice highlights the need to evaluate practicing nurses’ perceptions of faith, spirituality, and religion in healthcare and the role these elements play in the care they provide to patients. In addition, it is important to determine whether nurses recognize these elements of clinical practice and whether they have received formal education on implementing such care. Also, it is imperative to mention that there would be benefit to more research being done within the United States, as most of the previous research has been completed in foreign countries.
Methodology
Spiritual care in nursing practice has been proven to enhance patient care outcomes, but to what extent do practicing nurses integrate religion and spirituality into their clinical practice, and what factors influence their ability or willingness to do so? To investigate this question, a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey was created using Microsoft Forms and was distributed online to 80 nurses working in a hospital setting. The research study was evaluated by the IRB through an exempt application, as all participants involved in the study remained anonymous and their responses confidential.
The survey assessed nurses’ perceptions of faith, spirituality, and religion in healthcare, along with their awareness and attitudes towards integrating these elements into clinical practice, while identifying gaps in current education and training. The survey was designed this way because the study attempted to evaluate whether nurses were aware of faith and spirituality in their practice, and the factors that limited their ability to do. There was a brief section of the survey to allow for the collection of qualitative data in the form of open-ended questions. A copy of this survey can be found in Appendix A.
The survey was distributed to practicing nurses working at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, as well as to practicing nurses at other hospitals in the Tri-State Area and additional regions of the Midwest. It was administered with the intent to use a purposive sample, as practicing nurses were selected to participate in the study. Practicing nurses were surveyed instead of nursing students to draw on the clinical experience they have from working in their respective fields. The survey was conducted in 2026 from January through early March. The data were analyzed to evaluate potential correlations between the professional responsibility of the nurse to address a patient’s spiritual needs and the nurses’ awareness of spiritual care. A chi-squared analysis was used to examine the association between formal and informal education and the efficacy of each type of education.
Surveys were distributed across different units of the hospital, and transparent wording was utilized in the introduction. Based on previous research, I anticipated this research study to reveal that nurses recognize faith, religion, and spirituality as beneficial elements of clinical practice. However, I also expected the findings to reveal that a lack of formal training and education interferes with awareness of appropriately integrating spiritual care into practice. This research is important because the findings could inform recommendations for nursing curricula and professional development programs to enhance spiritual competence and improve patient care outcomes. If changes were made and spiritual care is emphasized fully in nursing school, nurses can provide well-rounded care beginning as early as new graduate registered nurses.
Results
The data from the Microsoft Forms survey (Appendix A) were analyzed to examine practicing nurses and their perceptions of faith, spirituality, and religion in healthcare, along with the role it plays in the care that they can provide to their patients. The data were also analyzed to examine if the nurses recognized that these elements exist in clinical practice, if they had received formal, informal, or both types of education on implementing spiritual care, and whether it was sufficient or not. A total of N = 80 participants completed the survey, and the following results summarize their responses. Participant demographics are presented in Table 1 and highlight gender, type of nursing degree, current nursing title, years of experience, and primary work setting. Most participants identify as female (95%), hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree (51.3%), work as a staff nurse (43.8%), and have over 21 years of experience (46.3%)
Table 1 Participant Demographics and Characteristics
Note. ADN = Associate Degree in Nursing; BSN = Bachelor of Science in Nursing; MSN = Master of Science in Nursing; DNP = Doctor of Nursing Practice; PhD = Doctor of Philosophy; Other = responses not captured in the listed options
Participants were asked if they identify as religious, spiritual, both, or neither, which is reported in Figure 1. The data show that 18 participants are religious (23%), 24 are spiritual (30%), 26 identify as both religious and spiritual (33%), 11 reported being neither (14%), and one preferred not to say. In total, 85% of the respondents identified as being religious and/or spiritual.
Figure 1 Religious or Spiritual Identification
When asked about awareness of the elements of faith, religion, and spirituality being a part of healthcare, high levels of awareness and knowledge were reported. Furthermore, most participants reported having confidence in assessing the spiritual needs of patients, as well as spiritual needs that may have been unmet. Most participants (78.8%) agreed or strongly agreed that these elements positively influence the healthcare process, contribute to improved patient satisfaction, and ultimate health outcomes of patients, all of which can be found in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Participants’ Awareness and Knowledge: Percentage of participants who answered yes to the questions below (N=80).
Similarly, 91% of participants reported that they will assess a patient’s spiritual and religious needs, whereas only 9% rarely do so. When assessing a patient’s spiritual and religious needs, most participants either inquire more about what is needed before implementing care, or they choose to immediately refer to a chaplain or spiritual care advisor. Figure 3 shows how nurses assess their patients' spiritual needs. These data show that 41.25% will refer to a chaplain, 10% will address the spiritual needs independently, 43.75% will ask more questions to understand their needs before implementing care, and 2.5% will only provide resources. While assessing a patient’s spiritual and religious needs, overall, 82.5% of participants reported having some type of comfort, while 17.5% reported feeling uncomfortable.
Figure 3
Assessing Spiritual Needs: Percentage of respondents (N=80) and how they assess spiritual needs.
Participants were asked to report on the level of education they have received on spiritual care, differentiating between formal and informal education, which can be found in Table 2. The participants were evaluated on receiving education during school, clinical, continuing education, during their job, or receiving no education at all. Most participants reported not receiving formal education in school (54%) but instead received informal education during on-the-job training (56%). A chi-squared goodness-of-fit test indicated that significantly more participants reported receiving informal education compared to those who received formal education (p < .001).
Table 2 Participants’ Level of Education: N = 80 participants. “Both” indicates participants who received formal and informal education, and “none” indicates no reported education.
The type of education received, whether formal or informal, was also evaluated in relation to nurses’ years of experience. Figure 4 presents a comparison of formal and informal education among nurses with less than or greater than 10 years of experience. The data show that 32% of those who reported having formal education and 25% who reported having informal education had less than 10 years of experience. The data also shows that 68% of those who reported having formal education and 75% who reported having informal education had greater than 10 years of experience.
Figure 4 Education Related to Years of Experience: N = 80 participants. Percentages represent formal and informal education related to years of experience (<10 years vs. >10 years).
Participants were also asked to report how sufficient their education has made them feel to address spiritual needs. The results between formal education and informal education were compared and can be found in Figure 5. Participants who received formal education primarily reported feeling it was insufficient or neutral (61%), whereas participants who received informal education primarily reported feeling it was sufficient or very sufficient (56%). A chi-squared test of independence found no statistically significant association between education type and perceived sufficiency (p = .26).
Figure 5 Participants’ Sufficiency of Education: N=80. 34 participants did not report having a feeling of sufficiency regarding Formal Education, and 18 participants did not report having a feeling of sufficiency regarding Informal Education.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to examine nurses’ perceptions of faith, spirituality, and religion in healthcare, and whether they were educationally equipped to spiritually care for their patients. The findings suggest that nurses recognize the importance and relevance of spirituality and religion in healthcare, reporting high levels of awareness and perceived responsibility to implement such elements into clinical practice. However, there is a disconnect between confidence and the ability to apply such care in practice. The research study was largely composed of experienced nurses, with nearly half reporting having more than 21 years of practice, and most identified with having some form of religious or spiritual belief. This identification may contribute to recognizing that spirituality plays a significant role in healthcare
Participants reported a strong awareness of the role that spirituality and religion play in healthcare, with the majority agreeing that a patient’s spiritual preferences and needs influence their health outcomes, a finding that was similarly reported by Sadeghi et al. (2025). Also, a majority reported that they will often assess a patient’s spiritual needs and integrate this into their professional practice. The difference lies in the approach – it was reported that nurses primarily further assess spiritual needs by speaking with the patient or referring directly to chaplaincy services. This was seen in Figure 2, where only 10% reported assessing spiritual needs independently. This difference in approach may reflect differences in training that each participant has received or an overall lack of education, further affecting the extent of spiritual care they provide and how comfortable they are in doing so. It can also be argued that nurses are already overworked in their field, leaving little to no room to fully embrace the act of spiritual care; however, if spirituality is now a known component of the biopsychosocial model, there must be an expectation to include it in nursing assessments.
The data showed that despite many participants expressing high levels of engagement with their patients’ spiritual needs and feeling comfortable doing so, there were still reports of discomfort. Table 2 showed that 20% of participants reported that they did not feel prepared to adequately assess unmet spiritual needs in their patients. Consistent with the findings of Bergamo and White (2016), this gap in preparedness does not mean that these nurses find spiritual care unimportant; rather, it suggests that they feel unprepared to provide it.
Regarding education, the findings determined that it played a key role in influencing preparedness to implement spiritual care into practice. The results showed that most participants did not receive formal education on spiritual care while in nursing school; findings that align with the existing literature suggesting that there is a lack of education on spiritual care in nursing curricula (Cetinkaya et al., 2013). However, participants reported learning about spiritual care through informal education, specifically on-the-job experiences. The nurses who received informal education were more likely to report feeling that the training sufficiently prepared them to provide spiritual care, compared to those who received formal education. Although this difference was not found to be statistically significant, it suggests that spiritual care training needs to be integrated consistently and meaningfully.
When evaluating education related to years of experience, it was found that education increased with experience, as both formal and informal education are much higher in the greater than 10 years of experience category. This suggests that consistently integrated education beginning in nursing curricula can lay the foundation for advancements in academia. Another finding was that more experienced nurses have more formal education. This may reflect these nurses having more time to complete continuing education courses; however, it could also reflect that spiritual care training is declining or is not as prevalent for our newer nurses.
During the open-ended portion of the survey, many participants reported wanting more of a formal education to understand how to adequately provide spiritual care. One participant expressed an interest in a “course in religious beliefs of different cultures.” These findings inform recommendations for nursing curricula and professional development programs to enhance spiritual competence and improve patient care outcomes, consistent with recommendations made by Sezer and Eyimaya (2022). By integrating formal and structured spiritual care into nursing curricula, it may help bridge the gap between perception and practice. The earlier the education begins, the more time there is to build upon the initial foundation of spiritual care before real-world practice as a nurse. It can be argued that the curricula in nursing programs are too rigid, leaving no room for extra classes; however, it is more important to ensure that the topic of spiritual care is spoken about so students understand the real-life importance of the impact it has on the health outcomes of patients. It doesn’t necessarily need its own class, but instead, needs to be emphasized along the same lines as a pediatrics or cardiology lecture. Professional development for spiritual care can be mandated as part of on-the-job training during orientation and continuing education.
There were several limitations that should be considered when interpreting these results. The sample size was relatively small, not entirely representative of all nursing entities, particularly hospice nurses, who may have provided a unique point of view on spiritual care due to the holistic nature of their practice. There were also a limited number of hospitals that were used. Additionally, the specific definitions of faith, religion, and spirituality were not provided to the participants. This may have influenced their responses and increased potential for bias due to personal understandings of the differences between each element. Future research should include a broader representation of nursing roles, particularly those involved in palliative care. Including these populations may provide a broader insight into how spiritual and holistic care is integrated into practice. Additionally, providing standardized definitions of faith, religion, and spirituality to participants in future studies will strengthen the validity of findings and ensure more consistent data. Due to the differences observed between formal and informal education, future studies should research how each type of educational opportunity influences nurses’ perceptions, confidence, and ability to perform. Furthermore, investigating the relationship between spiritual care practice and specific patient outcomes would provide insight into the importance of clinical spiritual care.
Conclusion
In summary, this study shows that nurses broadly recognize the value of integrating faith, religion, and spirituality into patient care, though there is variation in both how spiritual assessments are conducted and the level of comfort nurses have in performing them. A key finding of this study is the gap between education and preparedness in providing spiritual care. While many nurses reported receiving informal education on spiritual care, fewer nurses reported receiving formal education in school. Despite informal education being associated with greater perceived sufficiency, there were still reports of feelings of neutrality and insufficiency. This highlights the need for structured, consistent formal education beginning within nursing curricula and continued educational opportunities within the workforce. This fosters the opportunity for more comprehensive, holistic, patient-centered care.
References
AdventHealth University. (2020, December 29). Religion and healthcare: The importance of cultural sensitivity. AdventHealth University. https://www.ahu.edu/blog/religion-and-healthcare-the-importance-of-cultural-sensitivity
Baycrest Centre. (n.d.). What is spiritual care? Baycrest Centre. https://www.baycrest.org/Baycrest/Healthcare-Programs-Services/Culture-Arts-Spiritual-Care/Spiritual-Care/What-Is-Spiritual-Care
Bergamo, D., & White, D. (2016). Frequency of faith and spirituality discussion in health care. Journal of Religion and Health, 55(2), 618–630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-015-0065-y
Çetinkaya, B., Altundağ Dündar, S., & Azak, A. (2013). Nurses’ perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 31(1), 5–10. https://doi.org/10.37464/2013.311.1602
Ebrahimi, H., Areshtanab, H. N., Khanmiri, S. G., & Jafarabadi, M. A. (2017). Health care providers’ perception of their competence in providing spiritual care for patients. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 23(1), 57–61. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-1075.197957
Good, P. (2018). Evaluating the impact of innovative teaching strategies to improve nursing students’ perceptions of competence and confidence in providing spiritual and emotional care. In Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering (Vol. 79, Issue 8–B(E)).
Jutchenko, L. A. (2015). Addressing spirituality in healthcare needs: The mental health clinician’s role in enhancing the quality of the medical health experience by treating the spirit. In Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering (Vol. 75, Issue 8–B(E)).
Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University. (2024, March 21). Patients benefit from attending to spirituality in health care, says Georgetown University bioethics expert. Georgetown University. https://kennedyinstitute.georgetown.edu/news-releases/patients-benefit-from-attending-to-spirituality-in-health-care-says-georgetown-university-bioethics-expert/
King, D. E., May, H. J., McCullough, M. E., & Matthews, D. A. (2000). Integrating religion and spirituality into the biopsychosocial model. In D. E. King & H. G. Koenig (Eds.), Faith, spirituality, and medicine: Toward the making of the healing practitioner (pp. 1–11). Routledge.
Kırca, K., Özveren, H., & Bağcı, S. (2024). Evaluation of the spiritual care needs of patients with cancer in a chemotherapy unit in Turkey. Journal of Religion and Health, 63(2), 1457–1474. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01876-7
McDonald, K. L. (2024). Spiritual care: Determining the need, providing the care. International Journal for Human Caring, 28(2), 85–91. https://doi.org/10.20467/IJHC-2023-0010
Moran, M. (2024, September 10). Holistic care: Integrating spiritual practices in nursing. AIHCP. https://aihcp.net/2024/09/10/holistic-care-integrating-spiritual-practices-in-nursing/
Murgia, C., Notarnicola, I., Caruso, R., De Maria, M., Rocco, G., & Stievano, A. (2022). Spirituality and religious diversity in nursing: A scoping review. Healthcare, 10(9), 1661. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10091661
Newman, L. L. (2004). Faith, spirituality, and religion: A model for understanding the differences. The College of Student Affairs Journal, 23(2), 102–110. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ956981.pdf
Sadeghi, N., Heidari, H., Heidarzadeh, M., & Moghimian, M. (2025). Evaluation of nurses’ perception of spirituality and spiritual care of parents in neonatal intensive care units in Iran: A national study. BMC Nursing, 24(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03680-y
Sezer, T. A., & Ozturk Eyimaya, A. (2022). Competencies of nursing students in the provision of spiritual care and the factors affecting spiritual caregiving. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 58(2), 549–559. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.13014
Subrata, S. A. (2020). Implementation of spiritual care in patients with diabetic foot ulcers: A literature review. British Journal of Nursing, 29(15), S24–S32. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2020.29.15.S24
Sulmasy, D. P. (2024). Physicians, spirituality, and compassionate patient care. The New England Journal of Medicine, 390(12), 1061–1063. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2310498
Zeng, X., Yang, J., Li, Y., Chen, M., Wu, J., Hu, Y., Lu, W., Liu, J., Yang, Q., Guo, W., & Zhang, L. (2023). The relationship between nurses’ perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care and perceived professional benefits: A correlation study. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/1736608
Appendix A
Thank you for participating in this survey. Your input is valuable in helping us understand how nurses perceive and integrate faith, religion, and spirituality within clinical practice.
Please read the following instructions carefully before beginning:
Purpose of the Survey
This survey aims to explore:
Nurses’ perceptions of faith, religion, and spirituality in healthcare
Awareness of the role these elements may play in patient care
Attitudes toward integrating spiritual care into nursing practice
Perceived barriers, comfort levels, and educational preparedness
Confidentiality
All responses are anonymous and will be kept strictly confidential.
No identifying information will be collected.
Instructions for Completing the Survey
Please answer each question honestly based on your personal beliefs, experiences, and professional practice.
There are no right or wrong answers; we are interested in your perceptions.
The survey includes several types of questions:
Multiple-choice items
Likert-scale ratings
Optional open-ended questions
If an item does not apply to you, please select the option that best reflects your view or choose “Not applicable,” if available.
The survey should take approximately 5–10 minutes to complete.
Contact Information
If you have questions about the survey or its purpose, please contact the researcher.
Thank you for your time and participation. Your feedback helps support ongoing improvements in nursing education and holistic patient care.
Part A: Demographics
Gender
Female
Male
Other ___
Highest Nursing Degree
ADN
BSN
MSN
DNP
PhD
Other ___
Current Title
Staff nurse
Charge nurse
Nurse manager
Nurse practitioner
Nurse educator
Other ___
Years of Nursing Experience
<1
1-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21+
Primary work setting
Medical-Surgical
Critical Care
Emergency
Hematology/Oncology
Hospice
Community
Pediatrics
Long-Term Care
Other ___
Part B: Personal Faith
Do you identify as religious or spiritual?
Religious
Spiritual but not religious
Both
Neither
Prefer not to say
Part C: Awareness & KnowledgeYes or No
I am aware that patients’ religion and spirituality can affect their health decisions
I am aware of evidence-based practice linking spiritual well-being to health outcomes
I understand the difference between religion and spirituality
I am aware of how to ask patients about their spiritual or religious needs in a respectful manner
I know when it is clinically appropriate to involve chaplaincy or spiritual care services
I can identify common signs that a patient may have unmet spiritual needs
Part D: Attitudes & BehaviorsUse the Likert Scale 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree
Addressing a patient’s religion/spirituality is an important part of holistic nursing care
Nurses have a professional responsibility to assess patients’ spiritual needs
Believing including spiritual care contributes to improved patient satisfaction
Part E: Current Practices
How often do you assess patients’ spiritual or religious needs?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
When a patient expresses a spiritual or religious need, I typically:
Refer to chaplain/spiritual care immediately
Listen and address basic needs myself
Ask more questions to understand needs before deciding
Tell them resources are available but do not act
Other ___
How comfortable are you having a brief conversation with a patient about their spiritual or religious concerns?
Very uncomfortable
Uncomfortable
Neutral
Comfortable
Very comfortable
Part F: Training
Have you received FORMAL training in spiritual care in nursing school or continuing education?
Yes—in school
Yes—in continuing education
Yes—both
No
How sufficient was the FORMAL training in preparing you to address spiritual needs
Insufficient
Neutral
Sufficient
Very sufficient
N/A
Have you received informal training from experience in clinical practice
Yes—in nursing school clinicals
Yes—in my job as a nurse
Yes—both
No
How sufficient was the INFORMAL training in preparing you to address spiritual needs
Insufficient
Neutral
Sufficient
Very sufficient
N/A
Part G: Open-ended
What would make you feel more confident in addressing a patient’s spiritual or religious needs?
Any additional comments about religion or spirituality in nursing practice?
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your insights are essential in helping us better understand how nurses perceive and address faith, religion, and spirituality within healthcare. The information you have provided will contribute to ongoing efforts to improve education, support holistic care, and enhance patient-centered practice. Your honest and thoughtful responses are greatly appreciated.
Comments