Improving psychiatric nurses’ competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients’ religion/spirituality into mental healthcare: outcomes of an online spiritual care training program

Abstract Background: Religion/spirituality (R/S), which is associated with individuals’ well-being and psychological health, plays a significant role in most clients’ lives in healthcare systems. Although clients in mental healthcare settings prefer their R/S to be employed in nursing care, R/S has...

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Main Authors: Mahbobeh Shamsi, Zohreh Khoshnood, Jamileh Farokhzadian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2022-10-01
Series:BMC Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04280-9
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author Mahbobeh Shamsi
Zohreh Khoshnood
Jamileh Farokhzadian
author_facet Mahbobeh Shamsi
Zohreh Khoshnood
Jamileh Farokhzadian
author_sort Mahbobeh Shamsi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background: Religion/spirituality (R/S), which is associated with individuals’ well-being and psychological health, plays a significant role in most clients’ lives in healthcare systems. Although clients in mental healthcare settings prefer their R/S to be employed in nursing care, R/S has neither been adequately integrated into mental healthcare nor discussed in the assessment and nursing interventions of mental healthcare. Evidence shows that most psychiatric nurses receive little or no training in spiritual care (SC) and are unable to integrate clients’ R/S into mental healthcare. To address this gap, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of an online SC training program on psychiatric nurses’ competencies in SC and the integration of clients’ R/S into mental healthcare. Methods: This experimental study was conducted with nurses working in a psychiatric hospital affiliated with a large University of Medical Sciences in southeast Iran. Random sampling was performed and 95 nurses were assigned to the intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 45) groups. Online SC training was conducted for the intervention group in four sessions over four weeks. Data were collected using the Self-Assessment of Spiritual Care Competency and R/S Integrated Practice Assessment Scale before and one month after the training program. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups before training (p > 0.05). After the training, nurses in the intervention group obtained significantly higher scores in competencies in SC and integration of clients’ R/S into mental healthcare compared to the control group, with a considerable effect size (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The online training program positively affected psychiatric nurses’ competencies in SC and the integration of clients’ R/S into mental healthcare. Since SC is a critical need for clients, specifically in mental healthcare settings, nurses must receive continuous education to provide SC to various clients.
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spelling doaj.art-aa63d1230f6e4b7cb00fb810cbd0a31e2022-12-22T04:31:57ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2022-10-0122111210.1186/s12888-022-04280-9Improving psychiatric nurses’ competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients’ religion/spirituality into mental healthcare: outcomes of an online spiritual care training programMahbobeh Shamsi0Zohreh Khoshnood1Jamileh Farokhzadian2Student Research Committee, Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Community Health Nursing, Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical SciencesNursing research center, Kerman University of medical scienceAbstract Background: Religion/spirituality (R/S), which is associated with individuals’ well-being and psychological health, plays a significant role in most clients’ lives in healthcare systems. Although clients in mental healthcare settings prefer their R/S to be employed in nursing care, R/S has neither been adequately integrated into mental healthcare nor discussed in the assessment and nursing interventions of mental healthcare. Evidence shows that most psychiatric nurses receive little or no training in spiritual care (SC) and are unable to integrate clients’ R/S into mental healthcare. To address this gap, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of an online SC training program on psychiatric nurses’ competencies in SC and the integration of clients’ R/S into mental healthcare. Methods: This experimental study was conducted with nurses working in a psychiatric hospital affiliated with a large University of Medical Sciences in southeast Iran. Random sampling was performed and 95 nurses were assigned to the intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 45) groups. Online SC training was conducted for the intervention group in four sessions over four weeks. Data were collected using the Self-Assessment of Spiritual Care Competency and R/S Integrated Practice Assessment Scale before and one month after the training program. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups before training (p > 0.05). After the training, nurses in the intervention group obtained significantly higher scores in competencies in SC and integration of clients’ R/S into mental healthcare compared to the control group, with a considerable effect size (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The online training program positively affected psychiatric nurses’ competencies in SC and the integration of clients’ R/S into mental healthcare. Since SC is a critical need for clients, specifically in mental healthcare settings, nurses must receive continuous education to provide SC to various clients.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04280-9Spiritual careEducationReligion/spiritualityMental health nursingSpiritual care competence
spellingShingle Mahbobeh Shamsi
Zohreh Khoshnood
Jamileh Farokhzadian
Improving psychiatric nurses’ competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients’ religion/spirituality into mental healthcare: outcomes of an online spiritual care training program
BMC Psychiatry
Spiritual care
Education
Religion/spirituality
Mental health nursing
Spiritual care competence
title Improving psychiatric nurses’ competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients’ religion/spirituality into mental healthcare: outcomes of an online spiritual care training program
title_full Improving psychiatric nurses’ competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients’ religion/spirituality into mental healthcare: outcomes of an online spiritual care training program
title_fullStr Improving psychiatric nurses’ competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients’ religion/spirituality into mental healthcare: outcomes of an online spiritual care training program
title_full_unstemmed Improving psychiatric nurses’ competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients’ religion/spirituality into mental healthcare: outcomes of an online spiritual care training program
title_short Improving psychiatric nurses’ competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients’ religion/spirituality into mental healthcare: outcomes of an online spiritual care training program
title_sort improving psychiatric nurses competencies in spiritual care and integration of clients religion spirituality into mental healthcare outcomes of an online spiritual care training program
topic Spiritual care
Education
Religion/spirituality
Mental health nursing
Spiritual care competence
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04280-9
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