Student Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care

Abstract

Nurse educators must equip students with beginning skills of assessment, communication, and awareness of spiritual care. Barriers to spiritual care—lack of time or of space, inadequate training—reduce nurses' provision of spiritual care. Nursing students observe patient needs for spiritual care, but often are not skilled or comfortable offering spiritual care. This article relays observations of 28 senior nursing students about spirituality and spiritual care with implications for teaching.