Factors associated with spiritual care competencies in Taiwan’s clinical nurses: A descriptive correlational study

Aims and objectives To determine factors associated with nurses’ spiritual care competencies. Background Holistic nursing care includes biopsychosocial and spiritual care. However, nurses are limited by a lack of knowledge, time constraints and apprehension of assessing spiritual issues, which leaves them unable to assess and meet patients’ spiritual needs. Thus, when patients experience spiritual distress, clinical nurses lose the opportunity to support spiritual growth and self‐actualisation. In Taiwan, spiritual care, religion and culture are unique compared to those in other countries. Overall, factors associated with Taiwanese nurses’ spiritual care competencies lack comprehensive exploration. Methods This study adopted a descriptive correlational design using cross‐sectional survey (see Appendix S1). Cluster sampling was used to select clinical nurses from fourteen units of a medical centre and a regional hospital. Data were collected from January–June 2018 with a 97.03% response rate. Clinical nurses completed a background questionnaire, spiritual care practice questionnaire, spirituality and spiritual care‐related scales. Data were analysed using descriptive and linear regression. This report followed the STROBE checklist. Results Spiritual care competence ranged from 44–123 (mean 84.67 ± 12.88; range 27–135). The majority of clinical nurses rated their spiritual care competence as moderate (64–98). The significant factors associated with nurses’ spiritual care competence were education, religion, interest in spiritual care, having role models, past life events, barriers to providing spiritual care of the spiritual care practice score, and spiritual attitude and involvement score. The overall model was significant (p