ABSTRACT

Labitag, Laralynne L., Martin, Renz Bryan N., Rejano, Elvie S. SPIRITUAL CARE PRACTICES OF NURSING STUDENTS IN AQUINAS UNIVERSITY OF LEGAZPI (An Undergraduate Thesis Proposal Presented to the Faculty of College of Health Sciences Aquinas University of Legazpi SY: 2015-2016)


This study aimed to determine the profile of the respondents along with age, sex and religion. It also determined the spiritual care practices of nursing students along their6 knowledge, skills and attitude. Also, the factors that affect in providing spiritual care towards patients. Mainly, this study sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents along age, sex, religion?
2. What are the different spiritual care practices of nursing students in Aquinas University of Legazpi along knowledge, skills, and attitude?
3. What are the factors that affect the spiritual care towards patients?
4. What recommendations can be proposed to enhance the spiritual care practices of the student nurses?

This study is a descriptive type of research concerned with the population and data description. The goal is the achievement of accurate, factual, and systematic data that can be used in frequency, weighted mean, percentage, and ranking. Questionnaire distribution schedule was utilized. The study was anchored in Madeleine Leininger’s Sunrise Model Theory and Jean Watson’s Human Caring Sciences. The gathered data was analysed and interpreted with the use of frequency, weighted mean, percentage and ranking.

Along age, the age /8-2/ got the highest frequency of 16 out of 27 with percentage of 59.26% while the ages 26-29, 30-33, and 34-37 which gathered 0%. Along sex, the highest indicator is female which has the frequency of 18 out of 27 and composed of 66.67% while the indicator male got the lowest frequency of 9 out of 27 composed of 33.33%. In religion, with the most number of frequencies is the indicator Roman Catholic with 23 out of 27 composed of 85.19%, and the rest of the indicators got the lowest frequency of 1 composed of 3.70% each. Based on the findings, with the highest mean rating is knowing patient’s view of the cause of the illness with a verbal description of agree which has an average of 4.48. Along skills, applying technique such as meditation, therapeutic touch and relaxation exercise to patients registered the highest mean rating marked with a verbal description of strongly agree that has an average of 4.51. Along attitude, show respect for patients’ beliefs despite of their backgrounds got the highest mean rating with verbal description of strongly agree, with an average of 4.55. Along with factors that affect the spiritual care towards patients with the highest mean rating was be a personal support system which has a verbal description of more influential factor, with an average of 4.22.
The following were the conclusions drawn: The extent of spiritual care practices showed that:

a) The Aquinian Nursing students have a significant full knowledge of the extent of spiritual care practices. Knowing patient’s view of the cause of illness is the most important guiding indicator in the practice. Meanwhile, Being aware of spiritual aspects of spirituality including spiritual needs of which the least knowledge learned by the respondents. They all agreed to have the knowledge of every factor directly related to spiritual practice
b.)The extent of spiritual care practices of Aquinian Nursing students along skills significantly supports the idea that Assessing care plan whether patients goal have been met is essential in the patient carez On the other hand, Facilitate patients religious practices is the least learned ability of the students. All skills in the scope of spiritual care are fairly described in agreement and ability is noted among the respondents with skills attributed in spiritual care practices.
c.) Applying techniques such as meditation, therapeutic touch and relaxations exercise to patients is an important attitude that Aquinian Nursing Students supposed to be attending to. Moreover, facilitate patients religious practices is the difficult task to deal with the patients spiritual needs.

All attitudes engaged in the spiritual practice are verbally interpreted in agreement remarked by the respondents.
1.) Among all indicators, in the practices of spiritual care of Aquinian Nursing Students personal support system highly influences them.
2.) Patients right to receive individual spiritual and religious values observed by the Aquinian Nursing students is a significant issue on their practices and delivery of spiritual care.
Hence, considering the results of the study, the recommendations are
1.) When it comes to knowledge, the nurse should be fully aware of patient’s point of view regarding religion. The nurses should also be fully aware of the spiritual needs of the patients so that they can provide a holistic type of service.
2.) Skills are one of the important aspects of giving spiritual care. The nurse should be skilled when it comes to facilitating and providing the patient with spiritual care. Techniques such as praying, meditation, reflection and understanding of patient’s religious views should be applied.
3.) In terms of attitude, the nurse should understand the patient’s beliefs even if it’s contradictory to their own beliefs. A nurse should also be open-minded because in some cases, patients may have uncommon religious values. The nurse should not also assert his own beliefs to his patients.
4.) Having a personal support system highly influences patient’s spiritual needs. That is why the nurse should be able to acknowledge these.