Spirituality and health outcomes within the context of social determinants of health

Abstract

Abstract: Spirituality has a significant impact on patients' overall quality of life, however, it is often overlooked in the context of social determinants of health (SDOH). Nurses are well positioned to lead the expansion of SDOH models to include spirituality; however, routine nursing care does not emphasize spiritual assessment knowledge and skills. This article discusses spirituality and how it fits into the SDOH model, nursing education, and interdisciplinary healthcare. Spiritual care training may improve the confidence of nurses to integrate routine mental and spiritual assessments in clinical practice and serve as leaders in promoting spiritual care within interdisciplinary healthcare teams.