Understanding the role of spirituality in providing person-centred care
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Understanding the role of spirituality in providing person-centred care

Melanie Rogers University teaching fellow and advanced nurse practitioner, School of Human Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, England
John Wattis Visiting professor of psychiatry for older people, School of Human Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To understand how to incorporate spiritual care into your day-to-day nursing practice

  • To be aware of the competencies and personal qualities required to provide effective spiritual care

  • To familiarise yourself with the concepts of availability and vulnerability in relation to spiritual care

An awareness of the concept of spirituality is integral to the provision of person-centred holistic care. However, the nurse’s ability to provide spiritual care is often impeded by time pressures and the prioritisation of clinical tasks. Confusion about the meaning of spirituality and its relationship to religion may also compound the challenges involved in providing spiritual care, and nurses often feel ill-equipped to address this area of care. This article discusses the challenges associated with the concept of spirituality, and describes the competencies and personal qualities that nurses require to achieve spiritually competent practice. It also explains the concepts of availability and vulnerability, which can support the personal development required for nurses to become spiritually competent.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2020.e11342

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@DrMelanieRogers

Correspondence

m.rogers@hud.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Rogers M, Wattis J (2020) Understanding the role of spirituality in providing person-centred care. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2020.e11342

Published online: 08 April 2020

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more