Spiritual care practices and competence among critical care nurses in Turkiye: A structural equation modeling approach

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between spiritual care (SC) practices and competence among critical care nurses (CCNs) in Turkiye using structural equation modeling (SEM). A total of 323 CCNs participated, and data were collected using the Nurse Information Form, Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale (NSCTS) and Spiritual Care Competence Scale (SCCS). The mean NSCTS and SCCS total scores were 46.53 +/- 9.57 and 77.31 +/- 12.46 points, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between SCCS and NSCTS scores (r = 0.712, p < 0.01). SEM analysis showed that all SCCS subdimensions significantly predicted SC practices, with professionalization and patient counseling (beta = 0.393, p = 0.001) having the strongest effect, followed by attitude towards patient spirituality (beta = 0.232, p = 0.026) and assessment and implementation (beta = 0.171, p = 0.006). The model demonstrated good fit indices (chi(2)/df = 3.121; GFI = 0.925; CFI = 0.938; RMSEA = 0.069) and accounted for 54.5% of the variance in SC practices. These findings highlight the need for structured education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional strategies to enhance SC integration in intensive care units.