Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:49:43.001Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Spiritual care perceptions and empathy of Chinese nursing students: The mediating roles of spiritual well-being

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2022

Zhangyi Wang Open the ORCID record for Zhangyi Wang [Opens in a new window] ,
Yuan Liang ,
Haomei Zhao ,
Yue Zhu ,
Mengru Liu ,
Yajun Zhang ,
Luwei Xiao ,
Jingjing Piao ,
Xiqun Zhao  and
Zhijian Liu
...Show all authors
Zhangyi Wang
Affiliation:
Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
Yuan Liang
Affiliation:
Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
Haomei Zhao
Affiliation:
Graduate School, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
Yue Zhu
Affiliation:
Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
Mengru Liu
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
Yajun Zhang
Affiliation:
Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
Luwei Xiao
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
Jingjing Piao
Affiliation:
Graduate School, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
Xiqun Zhao
Affiliation:
College of Culture and Health Communication, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
Zhijian Liu
Affiliation:
Public Service College of Tianjin Technician Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Technology, Tianjin, China
Li Liu
Affiliation:
Blood Purification Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
Xiaoli Pang
Affiliation:
Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
Lina Peng*
Affiliation:
Vascular Surgery, Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, Chenzhou, Hunan, China
*
Author for correspondence: Lina Peng, Vascular Surgery, Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, Chenzhou, Hunan, China. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

To investigate spiritual care perceptions, spiritual well-being, and empathy, examine the correlations among spiritual care perceptions, spiritual well-being, and empathy, and explore the mediating role of spiritual well-being between other two variables of Chinese nursing students.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was implemented, and the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Checklist was used to ensure quality reporting of the study. A cluster sample of 2,718 nursing students was selected from 7 universities and colleges in China. The demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Chinese Version of the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale (C-SCGS), the Spiritual Health Scale Short Form (SHS-SF), and the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Nursing Student (JSPE-NS) were used. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and process plug-in mediation effect analyses were used to analyze the data.

Results

The total score of spiritual care perceptions, spiritual well-being, and empathy were 173.83 ± 25.62, 98.74 ± 12.87, and 105.04 ± 21.34, respectively. Spiritual care perceptions were positively correlated with spiritual well-being (r = 0.617, p < 0.01) and empathy (r = 0.528, p < 0.01). And spiritual well-being played a partial mediating role between the other two variables (accounting for 28.1%).

Significance of results

Spiritual care perceptions, spiritual well-being, and empathy were quite moderate, which need in improving. It is suggested that nursing educators pay attention to the spiritual care education of nursing students, perfect the spiritual care education system, and take targeted measures according to nursing students’ individual personality traits and differences, improve their spiritual well-being and empathy in multiple ways, so as to improve their spiritual care perceptions and competence.

Keywords

EmpathyNursing studentsSpiritual care perceptionsSpiritual well-beingSpirituality
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 20 , Issue 5 , October 2022 , pp. 701 - 710
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Zhangyi Wang, Yuan Liang, and Haomei Zhao are joint first authors, and they have contributed equally to this study.

References

REFERENCES

Ayik, C, Ozden, D and Kahraman, A (2021) Spiritual care needs and associated factors among patients with ostomy: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Clinical Nursing 30(11–12), 1665–1674. doi:10.1111/jocn.15721CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bandeali, S, des Ordons, AR and Sinnarajah, A (2020) Comparing the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of patients with non-cancer and cancer diagnoses in a tertiary palliative care setting. Palliative and Supportive Care 18(5), 513–518. doi:10.1017/S1478951519001020CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bar-Sela, G, Schultz, MJ, Elshamy, K, et al. (2019) Training for awareness of one's own spirituality: A key factor in overcoming barriers to the provision of spiritual care to advanced cancer patients by doctors and nurses. Palliative and Supportive Care 17(3), 345–352. doi:10.1017/S147895151800055XCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cao, X, Ma, C, Zheng, Z, et al. (2022) Contribution of life course circumstances to the acceleration of phenotypic and functional aging: A retrospective study. eClinicalMedicine 51, 101548. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101548CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, CS, Chan, SW, Chan, MF, et al. (2017) Nurses’ perceptions of psychosocial care and barriers to its provision: A qualitative study. Journal of Nursing Research 25(6), 411–418. doi:10.1097/JNR.0000000000000185CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, ZM, Xu, XD, Zhang, Q, et al. (2018) Mediating effect analysis of humanistic care ability between empathy ability and professional identity in undergraduate nursing students. Modern Preventive Medicine 45(20), 3837–3840.Google Scholar
Daghan, S (2018) Nursing students’ perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care: An example of Turkey. Journal of Religion & Health 57(1), 420–430. doi:10.1007/s10943-017-0416-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Damiano, RF, DiLalla, LF, Lucchetti, G, et al. (2017) Empathy in medical students is moderated by openness to spirituality. Teaching and Learning in Medicine 29(2), 188–195. doi:10.1080/10401334.2016.1241714CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donesky, D, Sprague, E and Joseph, D (2020) A new perspective on spiritual care: Collaborative chaplaincy and nursing practice. ANS Advances in Nursing Science 43(2), 147–158. doi:10.1097/ANS.0000000000000298CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eriksson, G, Bergstedt, TW and Melin-Johansson, C (2015) The need for palliative care education, support, and reflection among rural nurses and other staff: A quantitative study. Palliative and Supportive Care 13(2), 265–274. doi:10.1017/S1478951513001272CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goncalves, A, Santos, M, Volpato, R, et al. (2018) Attitudes of nursing students towards substance users and perceptions about religious/spiritual care. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP 52, e3425. doi:10.1590/S1980-220X2017027903425CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Green, A, Kim-Godwin, YS and Jones, CW (2020) Perceptions of spiritual care education, competence, and barriers in providing spiritual care among registered nurses. Journal of Holistic Nursing 38(1), 41–51. doi:10.1177/0898010119885266CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guo, RH, Wang, YF and Ren, LP (2020) Mediating effects of empathy ability between personality characteristics and humanistic care ability of nursing undergraduates. Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 26(27), 3822–3827. doi:10.3760/cma.j.cn115682-20200413-02685Google Scholar
Hsiao, YC, Chiang, YC, Lee, HC, et al. (2013) Psychometric testing of the properties of the spiritual health scale short form. Journal of Clinical Nursing 22(21–22), 2981–2990. doi:10.1111/jocn.12410CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hu, Y, Tiew, LH and Li, F (2019) Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the spiritual care-giving scale (C-SCGS) in nursing practice. BMC Medical Research Methodology 19(1), 21. doi:10.1186/s12874-019-0662-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huber, J and Macdonald, D (2012) An investigation of the relations between altruism, empathy, and spirituality. Journal of Human Psychology 52(2), 206–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, R, Hauser, J and Emanuel, L (2021) Toward a clinical model for patient spiritual journeys in supportive and palliative care: Testing a concept of human spirituality and associated recursive states. Palliative and Supportive Care 19(1), 28–33. doi:10.1017/S1478951520000607CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kalkim, A, Sagkal, MT and Daghan, S (2018) Nursing students’ perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care and their spiritual care competencies: A correlational research study. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing 20(3), 286–295. doi:10.1097/NJH.0000000000000446CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kang, KA and Kim, SJ (2020) Comparison of perceptions of spiritual care among patients with life-threatening cancer, primary family caregivers, and hospice/palliative care nurses in South Korea. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing 22(6), 532–551. doi:10.1097/NJH.0000000000000697CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kang, KA, Chun, J, Kim, HY, et al. (2021) Hospice palliative care nurses’ perceptions of spiritual care and their spiritual care competence: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Clinical Nursing 30(7–8), 961–974. doi:10.1111/jocn.15638CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karadag, E (2020) Do perceptions of spiritual care affect attitudes towards care for dying patients in a group of Turkish nursing students? Journal of Religion & Health 59(4), 1702–1712. doi:10.1007/s10943-019-00815-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kendall, M (1975) Multivariate Analysis. London: Charles Griffin & Company Limited.Google Scholar
Kroning, M (2018) Student perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. Journal of Christian Nursing 35(2), E17–E20. doi:10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000490CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lazenby, JM (2010) On “spirituality,” “religion,” and “religions”: A concept analysis. Palliative and Supportive Care 8(4), 469–476. doi:10.1017/S1478951510000374CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, N, Tian, BJ, Zhao, D, et al. (2017) The current status and research progress in nursing spiritual care education. Chinese Nursing Management 17(2), 188–192. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1672-1756.2017.02.011Google Scholar
Liang, S, Cheng, QQ, Chen, YY, et al. (2016) Research progress in spiritual care education. Journal of Nursing Science 31(3), 94–97. doi:10.3870/j.issn.1001-4152.2016.03.094Google Scholar
Maazallahi, M, Ghonchepour, A, Sohrabi, M, et al. (2021) Spiritual well-being among medical and nonmedical science students. Scientifica (Cairo) 2021, 6614961. doi:10.1155/2021/6614961Google ScholarPubMed
Michaelson, V, Freeman, J, King, N, et al. (2016) Inequalities in the spiritual health of young Canadians: A national, cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 16(1), 1200. doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3834-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Musa, AS (2020) Attitudes toward spiritual care and the provision of spiritual care interventions among Jordanian baccalaureate nursing students: Prevalence and correlates. Nursing Education Perspectives 41(6), 349–354. doi:10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000637CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ng, CP, Singh, D, Tan, MP, et al. (2022) Malaysian older persons’ perceptions about falls and their desired educational website characteristics: A qualitative study. PLoS One 17(7), e0270741. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0270741CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Brien, MR, Kinloch, K, Groves, KE, et al. (2019) Meeting patients’ spiritual needs during end-of-life care: A qualitative study of nurses’ and healthcare professionals’ perceptions of spiritual care training. Journal of Clinical Nursing 28(1–2), 182–189. doi:10.1111/jocn.14648CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paal, P, Helo, Y and Frick, E (2015) Spiritual care training provided to healthcare professionals: A systematic review. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 69(1), 19–30. doi:10.1177/1542305015572955CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peng, X, Wu, L, Xie, X, et al. (2020) Impact of virtual dementia tour on empathy level of nursing students: A quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Nursing Sciences 7(3), 258–261. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.06.010CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petersen, CL, Callahan, MF, McCarthy, DO, et al. (2017) An online educational program improves pediatric oncology nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and spiritual care competence. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing 34(2), 130–139. doi:10.1177/1043454216646542CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pipkins, CM, Rinker, MA and Curl, E (2020) Spiritual care perceptions of baccalaureate nursing students. Journal of Holistic Nursing 38(1), 131–138. doi:10.1177/0898010119887595CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Qiu, ZJ, Liu, K and Jiang, N (2011) Investigation on empathy status of higher vocational nursing students in Hunan province. Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 27(1), 68–71. doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1672-7088.2011.01.034Google Scholar
Ross, L, McSherry, W, Giske, T, et al. (2018) Nursing and midwifery students’ perceptions of spirituality, spiritual care, and spiritual care competency: A prospective, longitudinal, correlational European study. Nurse Education Today 67, 64–71. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2018.05.002CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shi, Y, Zhao, YT, Hu, YL, et al. (2020) Correlation between spiritual care competence and spiritual care-giving in oncology nurses. Medicine & Philosophy 41(7), 55–58. doi:10.12014/j.issn.1002-0772.2020.07.14Google Scholar
Tiew, LH and Creedy, DK (2012) Development and preliminary validation of a composite spiritual care-giving scale. International Journal of Nursing Studies 49(6), 682–690. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2011.11.014CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tuzer, H, Kirca, K and Ozveren, H (2020) Investigation of nursing students’ attitudes towards death and their perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. Journal of Religion & Health 59(4), 2177–2190. doi:10.1007/s10943-020-01004-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ward, J, Schaal, M, Sullivan, J, et al. (2009) Reliability and validity of the Jefferson scale of empathy in undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Nursing Measurement 17(1), 73–88. doi:10.1891/1061-3749.17.1.73CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weathers, E, McCarthy, G and Coffey, A (2016) Concept analysis of spirituality: An evolutionary approach. Nursing Forum 51(2), 79–96. doi:10.1111/nuf.12128CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, LF, Tseng, HC and Liao, YC (2016) Nurse education and willingness to provide spiritual care. Nurse Education Today 38, 36–41. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2016.01.001CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yuan, YY, Liu, HX, Deng, L, et al. (2019) Correlation between spiritual health and empathy among undergraduate nursing students. Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing (22), 1746–1750. doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1672-7088.2019.22.013Google Scholar
Zhao, KS (1997) Understanding of the significance of end-stage cancer patients in Taiwan province. Hospice Care 5, 51–61.Google Scholar
Zou, LY and Cao, MJ (2017) Instruments measuring spiritual health: A literature review. Journal of Nursing Science 32(9), 98–101. doi:10.3870/j.issn.1001-4152.2017.09.0Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Wang et al. supplementary material

Wang et al. supplementary material

Download Wang et al. supplementary material(File)
File 31.6 KB