The influence of spiritual well-being, spiritual needs, and nursing work environment on spiritual care practice among nurses in long-term care hospitals: A cross-sectional study.

Résumé

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the characteristics and relationships among nurses' spiritual well-being, self-perceived spiritual needs, nursing work environment, and spiritual care practice in long-term care hospitals.METHODS: Participants were 235 nurses working at 16 long-term care hospitals with 300 or more beds located in the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. Data were collected from February 17 to June 27, 2025, through an online survey platform, with a paper questionnaire provided upon request. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were performed.RESULTS: Significant correlations were identified among spiritual care practice, nurses' spiritual well-being, self-perceived spiritual needs, and the nursing work environment. In the final regression model, factors influencing spiritual care practice were meaning and purpose (β=0.23, p=.017), existential well-being (β=-0.20, p=.007), marital status (β=-0.19, p=.001), spiritual care education in the current hospital (β=0.17, p=.013), and staffing and resource adequacy (β=0.15, p=.037), explaining 35% of the variance.CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance of developing and implementing spiritual care programs that promote a sense of meaning and purpose, address nurses' spiritual needs, and thoughtfully support their existential well-being, while ensuring adequate staffing levels and resource allocation within long-term care hospitals. Integrating structured spiritual care education and supportive organizational systems into nursing practice may enhance the quality of holistic care provided to older adults in long-term care hospitals.