Nurse religiosity and end-of-life care

Abstract

Much has been written about nurses’ responsibility to support patients’ spiritual needs. A plethora of literature explores patients’ religiosity and its effect on their approach and/or response to healthcare issues. There is little literature exploring the influence of healthcare providers’ religiosity on the care they deliver to patients. This research examines the relationship between nurses’ religiosity, their perceived self-efficacy, and the importance they place on aspects of care provided to patients at the end of life. This study further supports the body of literature suggesting that end-of-life care is complex and multidimensional. It presents findings that show significant relationships between religiosity, self-efficacy, and the importance that nurses report regarding end-of-life care, and demonstrates the need for ongoing research that investigates aspects of nursing and end-of-life care.