Nurses’ Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Clinical Practice: A Theory-Driven Correlational Study in Selected Hospitals in Laguna, Philippines
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2026.166Keywords:
Clinical practice, Perception, Spiritual care, SpiritualityAbstract
Spirituality and spiritual care are essential components of holistic nursing practice; however, existing studies remain largely descriptive and lack a clear theoretical explanation of how nurses’ perceptions of spirituality translate into clinical care. This study aimed to examine nurses’ perceptions of spirituality and their relationship with the delivery of spiritual care in selected hospitals in Laguna, Philippines. A quantitative descriptive correlational design was employed among 227 registered nurses selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a validated self developed questionnaire and were statistically analyzed. Findings revealed that the majority of respondents were aged 31–40 years, predominantly female, and Roman Catholic. Nurses demonstrated a very high level of spirituality (M = 3.36) and of spiritual care (M = 3.36). Most demographic variables showed no significant differences in spirituality and spiritual care, except for sex, which showed a significant difference in spiritual care (p = .026). Furthermore, a moderate positive and significant relationship was found between spirituality and spiritual care (r = 0.431, p < .001). These findings suggest that nurses’ internal spirituality moderately influences their delivery of spiritual care, highlighting the importance of integrating spirituality into nursing education and clinical training. This study helps address the gap by providing a theory-driven, localized understanding of spirituality in nursing practice.
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