Tanzanian Nurses Understanding and Practice of Spiritual Care

Spirituality, as a basic characteristic of humans and a contributor to human health, is regarded as part of nursing practice. The purpose of this study was to examine how Tanzanian nurses understand spirituality and spiritual care. Using the qualitative method of interpretive description, fifteen re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ISRN nursing 2011-01, Vol.2011 (2011), p.1-7
Main Authors: Dhamani, Khairunnisa Aziz, Paul, Pauline, Olson, Joanne Kaye
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AIDS
Christian Islamic relations
Data analysis
Data collection
HIV
Holistic nursing
Hospice care
Hospitals
Human immunodeficiency virus
Illnesses
Interviews
Muslims
Nurses
Nursing
Patients
Religion
Research methodology
Researchers
Spirituality
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Summary:Spirituality, as a basic characteristic of humans and a contributor to human health, is regarded as part of nursing practice. The purpose of this study was to examine how Tanzanian nurses understand spirituality and spiritual care. Using the qualitative method of interpretive description, fifteen registered nurses engaged in clinical practice in a Tanzanian hospital were recruited to participate in this study. In-depth interviews using open-ended questions were carried out, tape-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data collection and inductive analysis occurred concurrently. In this paper, key findings are grouped under the following headings: meaning of spiritual care, recognition of spiritual needs, and interventions to respond to spiritual needs. Although there were some differences, overall participants’ understanding of spirituality and spiritual care was similar to what is found in the literature about nurses in other countries. The provision of spiritual care also included some unique elements that may reflect the African context.
ISSN:2090-5483
2090-5491
DOI:10.5402/2011/534803