Nurses' role in spiritual care for patients and families in intensive care units: A scoping review

Introduction

Critically ill patients and their families benefit from spiritual care. There is limited evidence on how spiritual care is delivered in intensive care units (ICUs).

Aim

The objective of this review was to determine how nurses include spiritual care for patients and families in ICUs.

Methodology

A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology guidelines, with results reported using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines from March to April 2023. PubMed, Scopus by Elsevier, Web of Science (WOS), and the Ebsco search engine were consulted, including databases such as Medline Complete, Cinhal, and Academic Search Ultimate using the keywords: Nursing care, ICU, spirituality. Articles with qualitative and quantitative approaches of any design describing spirituality in nursing care for patients or families in ICUs were included, excluding editorials and letters to the editor. The time frame ranged from 2015 to 2023, with no language restrictions.

Results

A total of 316 articles were retrieved, after removing duplicates and applying inclusion criteria with critical reading, 11 studies were included, 6 with a quantitative approach and 5 with a qualitative approach. Conditions for spiritual care are described highlighting the need for physical space and nurse-related conditions such as motivation and empathy. Personal, organizational, and team-related barriers to spiritual care exist. Facilitators for spiritual care are described such as preparation, communication, and the presence of chaplains.

Conclusions

Nurses in ICUs have various ways to provide spiritual care to patients and families. These must be developed considering barriers such as physical space, personal, organizational, and team-related challenges.