Hospitalized Patients’ Perspectives on Spiritual Assessment: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Background: Research shows that spirituality is important, but patients report that nurses rarely address spiritual issues, and research from the patient viewpoint is limited. Aim: The research objective was to gain knowledge about hospitalized patients’ perspectives on spiritual assessment by nurses. Method: This is a mixed methods exploratory study reporting on quantitative/qualitative aspects of the patient perspective. Norwegian nurses in an acute care hospital distributed a 21-item spiritual assessment survey to patients they felt would not be burdened by completing it. Patients’ demographic data were not identifiable, survey packets were returned anonymously via hospital mail by 157 hospitalized patients. Each survey item and several variables on the demographic sheet had space for comments. Quantitative analysis used SPSS 21, qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Findings: Statistically significant correlations were found with all survey items. Hospitalized people reported high comfort with spiritual assessment by nurses. Qualitative findings revealed that patients had differing views on if, when, and how nurses should ask spiritual questions of them. Conclusions: It is important to identify patients’ perspectives in order to provide patient-centered holistic care. Understanding patient views will enlighten nurses and may promote spiritual care and improve patient health outcomes.