A resolution adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2014 stated that all nurses should be equipped with palliative care skills in order to integrate palliative care into a day-today healthcare system. This article introduces the palliative nursing competency that was developed for the Korean environment by the Korean Hospice Palliative Nursing Research Network based on its study of overseas cases where this competency and competency-based training were developed. This is the first step towards the development of competencybased palliative nursing education, and active efforts should be made to integrate this competency into the undergraduate nursing curriculum.

The purpose of this study was to compare differences in spiritual needs (SNs) and factors influencing SNs between patients with progressive terminal kidney disease and their family caregivers. Methods: An explorative comparative survey was used to identify the SNs of patients (N=102) with progressive terminal kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis and their family caregivers (N=88) at a general hospital located in Seoul, South Korea. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, the independent t-test, one way analysis of variance, the Scheffé test, and multiple regression with dummy variables. Results: The SNs among family caregivers were higher than in the patient group. SNs were higher among those who were religious in both groups. Loving others was the highest-ranked subdimension in the patient group, followed in descending order by maintaining positive perspective, finding meaning, Reevaluating beliefs and life, asking "why?", receiving love and spiritual support, preparing for death, and relating to God. In the family group, the corresponding order was maintaining positive perspective, loving others, finding meaning, receiving love and spiritual support, preparing for death, relating to God, and asking "why?". The factors that had a negative influence on the level of SNs were not being religious in the patient group and having only a middle school level of education in the family group. Conclusion: The results of this study may serve as evidence that spiritual care for non-cancer patients' family caregivers should be considered as an important part of hospice and palliative care.