Nursing management, religion and spirituality: a bibliometric review, a research agenda and implications for practice

Abstract

AIMS: This article aims to contribute to the growing field of spirituality and nursing management by analysing bibliographic data on peer-reviewed research in the field. BACKGROUND: Articles on spirituality and nursing management often claim that these fields have grown over the past two decades. This article gathers empirical evidence to test these claims. EVALUATION: Bibliometric data on peer-reviewed research articles on nursing, nursing management, spirituality and religion in the Social Sciences Citation Index were analysed to ascertain general trends in publication and citation. KEY ISSUES: The data support claims that research activity and interest in both spirituality and religion in the field of nursing have grown steeply over recent years, and continue to accelerate. CONCLUSIONS: The research identified spirituality as a beneficial variable in management, training and/or care scenarios. Critical studies of nursing management spiritual initiatives could add considerably to the growing body of research and theory in this field. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: It is essential that nurse managers be equipped to foster not only a broader understanding of the variety of faith traditions found in a multi-cultural society, but also to develop an understanding of the ways in which individuals engage in spiritual practice outside traditional religious settings.

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