Staffordshire University logo
STORE - Staffordshire Online Repository

Spiritual care training is needed for clinical and non-clinical staff to manage patients’ spiritual needs

Austin, Philip, MacLeod, Roderick, Siddall, Philip, MCSHERRY, Wilfred and Egan, Richard (2017) Spiritual care training is needed for clinical and non-clinical staff to manage patients’ spiritual needs. Journal for the study of spirituality, 7 (1). pp. 50-63. ISSN 2044-0243 (In Press)

[img] Text
JSS-147-PA_6Aug16_Reviewers corrections.docx - AUTHOR'S ACCEPTED Version (default)
Available under License All Rights Reserved (Under Embargo).

Download (69kB)
[img] Text
Store 2979.docx
Restricted to Repository staff only
Available under License All Rights Reserved.

Download (36kB) | Request a copy

Abstract or description

Abstract
Purpose
As health-care moves towards a more person-centred approach, spiritual care has become more important in patients’ care. Recent evidence shows positive associations between both recognising and addressing patient spiritual needs and health outcomes. Thus, we conducted a cross-sectional survey to determine levels in understanding of patients’ spiritual needs and spiritual care among clinical and non-clinical staff working with people with chronic and terminal conditions.
Methods
We administered an adapted version of the Royal College of Nursing online Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) to hospital and community-care staff.
Results
437 of 2845 eligible staff (15%) responded to the survey. Most participants agreed that spiritual care is fundamental to health care (n=322, 88%) and that care-giving organisations should provide support for dealing with patients’ spiritual needs (n=311, 85%). Dementia care staff encountered patient spiritual needs most often (p=0.0001) While participants recognised patients’ spiritual needs (mean-81%), only 51 (14%) stated they were always able to do so.
Conclusions
We show that spiritual care training is needed for all staff having contact with people suffering chronic or terminal conditions. While respondents can identify definitions of spiritual needs, their ability to recognise associated behaviours and meet these needs is uncertain. The findings provide support for further studies to develop an evidence-based model of spiritual care training.

Item Type: Article
Faculty: School of Health and Social Care > Nursing
Depositing User: Wilfred MCSHERRY
Date Deposited: 02 Feb 2017 09:46
Last Modified: 24 Feb 2023 13:46
URI: https://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/id/eprint/2979

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

DisabledGo Staffordshire University is a recognised   Investor in People. Sustain Staffs
Legal | Freedom of Information | Site Map | Job Vacancies
Staffordshire University, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 2DE t: +44 (0)1782 294000