Exploring the relationship between spiritual care and patient advocacy of nurses from generations X, Y and Z working in intensive care clinics: A cross-sectional study

Objective

To determine the relationship between spiritual care and patient advocacy across three generations of nurses working in intensive care units.

Design

Cross-sectional survey.

Methods

Data collection took place from July to August 2022 with 120 nurses in Turkey. Data collection tools included the Spiritual Caregiving Competency Scale, the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Assessment Scale, and the Patient Advocacy Scale for Nurses. Data on nurses’ demographics were evaluated using descriptive statistical methods (number, percentage, mean, standard deviation). Independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and linear multiple regression analysis were used to evaluate the relationships between variables, with results reported as 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

More than half of the nurses were from Generation Y (39.2 %) and Generation Z (42.5 %). Generation Z’s mean patient advocacy score (156.96 ± 23.16) was statistically significantly higher than Generation X’s (139.32 ± 34.26). We determined that the spiritual competence scale communication sub-dimension score of Generation Y nurses working between 1–10 years was higher than that of Generation Z nurses. Additionally, as the patient advocacy scores of all generations increased, so did spiritual competence scores.

Conclusion

The study found differences in patient advocacy and spiritual care competencies between generations. Thus, we recommend organizing courses, seminars, and in-service training on patient advocacy and spiritual care for intensive care nurses.

Implications for clinical practice

This study estimates nurses’ spiritual care competencies and patient advocacy levels from different generations and sheds light on the literature to eliminate differences in care between generations in nursing practices that evolve and change over time. It is recommended that courses, seminars, in-service training, spiritual activities, and interactive meetings be organized to encourage the participation of intensive care nurses to minimize the differences in spiritual care and patient advocacy among all generations of intensive care nurses.