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How students understand spirituality and spiritual care: Descriptive study on a sample of bachelor nursing students from Slovenia

Research shows the potential role of a specific cultural environment in understanding spirituality and spiritual care among nursing staff and students. In Slovenia, spiritual care within the framework of nursing is still under development alongside efforts for the greater professionalisation of nursing. The objectives of the study performed on a sample of nursing students from Slovenia were to: (1) explore nursing students’ perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care; (2) examine the role of demographic characteristics, and (3) determine the perceived importance of education in the field of spiritual care. A quantitative, non-experimental survey research method was applied. Undergraduate nursing students enrolled in one of the Slovenian faculties participated in the study. The original Spirituality and Spiritual Rating Scale was utilised as the research instrument. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each item of the instrument and statistical tests were used to identify significant differences between the demographic characteristics of the sample and students’ perceptions of and experiences with spirituality and spiritual care. The results were compared with those of previous studies on samples of nursing care students and employed nurses. The results showed that students had a pronounced existential view of spirituality and expressed doubt as to whether spiritual care should be an integral part of nursing and nursing education. Self-reported religiosity, religious practice, and gender, showed an important contribution to spirituality and spiritual care perceptions. Further multinational research on spirituality and spiritual care are needed to achieve better cultural self-awareness and development of coordinated educational programs.