Cultural and Spiritual Acumen in Chinese Urology Nursing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Pilot Investigation

Wenting ZhuYilin WangMinjia GuLiqing ZhengQin YanDongmei Ren^*

• Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China

Background: While the importance of cultural and spiritual care proficiencies is well-validated in cancer supportive care and critical care settings, its relevance within urology remains to be substantiated. Gauging the spiritual care requisites of nurses within urology divisions may foster enhanced sentiments of hope, serenity, and fortitude among patients. Objectives: To examine cultural and spiritual care proficiencies among nurses tending to urology patients, and to ascertain the correlation between personal and professional attributes of these nurses and their perspectives on cultural and spiritual care competencies. Methods: Thirty-five nurses affiliated with the urology department of Jiading District Central Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, China, were provided with a questionnaire encompassing the spiritual care competency scale and cultural competence scale. All participating nurse practitioners were female, of Han Chinese ethnicity, adhering to Chinese culture, and devoid of religious affiliations. Both instruments employed a six-point Likert scale (1: vehemently disagree, 2: disagree, 3: slightly disagree, 4: slightly agree, 5: agree, and 6: vehemently agree). Results: Participating nurses possessed education at or above the junior college level. Twenty-six percent of nurses were 35 years of age or older. Sixty-six percent had a decade or fewer of experience in urological nursing within mainland China. The preeminent value within the spiritual care competency scale pertained to spiritual perspectives (factor 2; 4.94 ± 0.32/nurse), succeeded by attributes for spiritual care (factor 1; 4.42 ± 0.19/nurse), defining spiritual care (factor 3; 4.33 ± 0.21/nurse), spiritual care attitudes (factor 4; 4.2 ± 0.28/nurse), spiritual care values (factor 5; 3.98 ± 0.21/nurse), and spiritual care personal values (factor 6; 3.89 ± 0.22/nurse). The clinical nursing cultural competence scale registered at 4.24 ± 0.79/nurse. No associations were evident between personal/professional traits and perceptions of cultural and spiritual care competencies (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusions: Nurses functioning within the urology department exhibited an affirmative outlook towards cultural and spiritual care proficiencies. Personal and professional attributes of nurses in urology are generally uncorrelated with their perceptions of cultural and spiritual care competencies. Nurses in urology department have workload and insufficient knowledge of spiritual care practices.