ASSESSMENT OF NURSES’ COMPETENCE IN PROVIDING SPIRITUAL CARE IN A TERTIARY HEALTHCARE SETTING IN DISTRICT MARDAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: In holistic nursing practice, spiritual care is a crucial component, especially when it comes to acute, chronic, and end-of-life care. Nurses worldwide report differing degrees of proficiency in delivering spiritual care, despite its acknowledged significance. Objective: To assess the level of nurses’ competence in providing spiritual care in a tertiary healthcare setting in District Mardan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 175 registered nurses working in medical, surgical, critical care, and emergency units. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire and the 27-item Spiritual Care Competence Scale (SCCS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. Result: A moderate to high level of competence was indicated by the total mean spiritual care competence score of 3.89 ± 0.547. Excellent internal consistency was shown by the SCCS (Cronbach's alpha = 0.920). Spiritual care competency was significantly correlated with age (p = 0.018), professional experience (p = 0.029), and prior spiritual care training (p = 0.042), but not with gender, religion, educational level, or unit/ward (p > 0.05). The majority of participants were Muslim (98.9%), female (64.0%), between the ages of 20 and 25 (33.7%), and had a BSN or Post-RN BSN (92.6%). 79.4% of nurses reported having previously received spiritual care training. Conclusion: Nurses demonstrated a satisfactory level of spiritual care competence, which was significantly influenced by age, clinical experience, and prior training. These findings highlight the importance of experiential learning and structured spiritual care education to strengthen holistic, patient-centered nursing practice.