The concept of spirituality in nursing theories: differing world-views and extent of focus

Although nursing has recognized spirituality as an important aspect of holistic patient care, exactly what spirituality means has remained rather amorphous. The purpose of this article is to present aspects of spirituality found in modern nurse theorists’ ideas. These aspects are presented both in relation to reciprocal interaction or simultaneous action world‐views and in relation to the extent of focus on the concept within the model or theory. This discussion will provide the researcher and practitioner with additional theoretical understanding on which to ground investigations and base practice.