Spirituality in the Undergraduate Curricula of Nursing Schools in Portugal and São Paulo-Brazil
Journal Title: Religions - Year 2016, Vol 7, Issue 11
Abstract
Spirituality is considered a dimension of nursing care, which is often recognized as being neglected, mainly due to a lack of education. Several studies have addressed nursing students’ perceptions and skills for providing spiritual care, but there is little evidence on how spirituality is addressed in undergraduate nursing curricula. This study comprised Portuguese and Brazilian nursing schools (from São Paulo) and describes how spirituality is addressed in undergraduate nursing curricula. It is descriptive and the survey research was performed in 2014–2015. The questionnaire was composed of closed and open-ended questions and was sent by e-mail. A total of 129 answers were obtained, mostly from Portugal. Results indicated that several curricular units include spirituality, although having different contents. The learning outcomes are consistent with improving nursing students’ integral education, developing the clinical reasoning regarding spirituality, and improving the assessment of the patient across the life span. Nevertheless, it seems that spirituality is poorly addressed in clinical practice. Few nursing schools have courses or curricular units specifically dealing with spirituality, but they do provide some form of teaching on the subject. No standard curriculum exists, but teachers believe that it is a very important subject that should be included in the courses taught.
Authors and Affiliations
Sílvia Caldeira, Amélia Simões Figueiredo, Ana Paula da Conceição, Célia Ermel, João Mendes, Erika Chaves, Emília Campos de Carvalho and Margarida Vieira
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP25625
- DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/rel7110134
- Views 283
- Downloads 5
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