Who can give ‘spiritual care’? The management of spiritually sensitive interactions between nurses and patients

Abstract

AIMS: This article considers the purpose of contemporary 'spiritual care' in order to help managers make informed decisions about its appropriate delivery in a clinical context. BACKGROUND: Although there are national policies in place concerning spiritual care, surveys indicate that nurses are reluctant to engage with the spiritual needs of patients. EVALUATION: A consideration of the character of spiritual care indicates the need to take account of the context of contemporary Western society. A model drawn from the social psychology of religion is used to analyse the different types of nurse-patient interaction available in the provision of spiritual care. KEY ISSUES: Although religious and spiritual commitments can vary widely, they are subject to the same pressures in a secular and pluralist social context. This enables some general guidelines to be developed. CONCLUSIONS: Effective spiritual care requires a consideration of both the patient's and the nurse's implicit and explicit religious commitments. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers need to take account of the personal commitments of nurses when directing them to offer spiritual care. This article offers a diagnostic tool for deploying nurses in an appropriate way.

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