Determining the relationship between spirituality and perceptions of care in nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Background Caring is a core value in nursing education and many of its features can be measured as specific behaviors. It is not clear how nurses' spirituality affects their caring behavior. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between spirituality and spiritual care and nursing students' perceptions of care. Design and Methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of 467 students in the nursing department of a university in Northeastern Anatolia. Data were collected using a descriptive information form, the Care Assessment Report Evaluation Q-sort (CARE-Q), and the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS). Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, t-test, analysis of variance, and Kruskal-Wallis H, Mann-Whitney U, correlation, and regression tests. Results The mean age of the participants was 21.14 +/- 1.97 years, 55.0% were women, and 63.0% said that nursing was their preferred profession. Most of the students rated their knowledge of spirituality and spiritual care as adequate (17.6%) or partially adequate (48.0%). CARE-Q and SSCRS scores were significantly higher among female students who chose a career in nursing to help people, want to obtain their master's degree, and agreed that providing care is nurses' primary duty (p < 0.05). There was a weak positive correlation between CARE-Q and SSCRS scores (p < 0.001; r = 0.369). Conclusion There was a significant relationship between CARE-Q and SSCRS scores (p < 0.05). Practice Implications To promote holistic care, nursing students should be provided training on spirituality and spiritual care, with emphasis on the role of nurses in care.