Development of the Spirituality in Palliative Care Scale for nursing students in the context of Thai culture

Abstract

Background: Nursing students form part of the healthcare team who care for patients who are living with a terminal illness and facing physical and spiritual suffering. However, there is a lack of suitable indicators to measure a nurse's spirituality when they are providing palliative care. Aim: To develop a way of measuring the spirituality of nurses who provide palliative care. Method: The participants consisted of 312 third-and fourth-year nursing students of two nursing colleges from southern and central Thailand. Finding: The 12-item Spirituality in Palliative Care Scale had the reliability of .804. The measurement model was consistent with the empirical data and had unidimensional quality (X2=50.94, df=45, p-value=0.25, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.044, Single Resolution Mechanism Regulation (SRMR)=0.044, Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI)=0.95, Corporate Finance Institute (CFI)=0.97, goodness of fit (GFI)=0.97). The items' factor loadings were in between .48 and .84. Conclusion: The spirituality in palliative care scale can measure nursing students' spirituality in palliative care and nursing educators can use the measurement to support nursing students to develop greater awareness of spirituality in palliative care.

Sosyal Bilgiler Dersinde Dönüşümsel Öğrenme Kuramının Öğrencilerin Çatışma Çözme Becerisine Etkisi

“…reported that all participants in the study doubted about their existing knowledge. Sukcharoen et al (2020) investigated the effect of transformative learning on spirituality in a study conducted with the participation of nursing students. In the study, it was determined that the participants doubted about their beliefs and values.…”

Undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of palliative care in the intensive care unit

“…In the past, Thai palliative care concept didn’t apply with the terminal ill patients. Only interdisciplinary team took care before their death [ 4 , 5 ]. Their families still hope patients recover from complex disease that can’t be cured to reduce patients’ pain and suffering hopefully they would be discharged from the ICU to their house [ 5 ].…”

“…Only interdisciplinary team took care before their death [ 4 , 5 ]. Their families still hope patients recover from complex disease that can’t be cured to reduce patients’ pain and suffering hopefully they would be discharged from the ICU to their house [ 5 ]. Therefore, a need for specific care has arisen, especially ICU palliative care to ensure human dignity for patients and their families at end-of-life stage and after the patients’ deaths [ 2 – 6 ].…”

“…Palliative care is patient and family centered care aimed at relieving suffering, controlling symptoms and improving quality of life in those with life threatening illnesses [ 7 – 9 ]. The care reduces symptoms and distress, and supports people to accept death, and die peacefully [ 2 , 3 , 10 – 13 ]. Palliative care, together with including life-prolonging interventions, is provided by critical care professionals and forms a comprehensive approach to care for critically ill patients upon admission to the ICU [ 14 ].…”

“…Thus, the integration of palliative care has increasingly accepted, especially in ICU terminal ill patients care. The palliative care is a necessary approach in the ICU [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 14 ].…”