Abstract:
Background: Spiritual nursing care is one component of holistic health care that has been gaining attention in developed countries over the past few years. The attention given to spiritual care in Ethiopia is insignificant. Studies done on the competence and perception of nurses towards spiritual care showed that there is little understanding and practice. This study tried to explore the barriers and facilitators of spiritual nursing care in hospitals in Ethiopia.
Objective:
- To describe the meaning of spiritual nursing care as understood in the local context
- To explore the barriers to spiritual nursing care implementation in Ethiopian Hospitals
- To identify the facilitators of spiritual nursing care practice in Ethiopian Hospitals.
Methods:
An Interpretive Descriptive qualitative study design with thematic analysis was used to investigate the depth of spiritual nursing care practice barriers and facilitators by using open-ended interviews from nurses working in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and Myungsung Medical Center. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique with maximum variation to include nurses who have experience of working more than six months in the hospitals on activities directly related to clinical patient care, matrons, association board members, and the nursing school dean. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key facilitators and barriers to spiritual care delivery in nursing practice.
Results: The findings showed that nurses generally perceive spirituality as similar to religious beliefs, and they also recognize spiritual care as an essential element of holistic nursing care. Facilitators of spiritual nursing care include strong personal commitment, institutional willingness, religious fathers’ support, and patient demand for spiritual care. Barriers for spiritual nursing care implementation include high nurse-to-patient ratios, lack of formal training, absence of institutional protocols, and time. Emotional and psychological stress among nurses, as well as cultural sensitivities, also affect spiritual nursing care implementation.
Conclusion & Recommendations:
This qualitative study gave insight into the definition of spiritual nursing care based on the Ethiopian context. It also identified inadequate nurse-to-patient ratios, lack of training in spiritual nursing care, and absence of national policies and institutional protocols as main barriers. Large-scale future studies with research teams with variable perspectives and backgrounds should be done to further elaborate on the facilitators and barriers of spiritual nursing care practice without investigator bias. Future research should also focus on evaluating interventions targeting these barriers and facilitators to strengthen spiritual care integration in Ethiopia.