Royal College Of Nursing Spirituality Survey 2010

Wilfred McSherry - professor in Dignity of Care for Older People, Staffs University/ Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Vice President of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality - states the last two decades have seen a groundswell of interest in the concepts of spirituality and spiritual; care in health care and nursing.

In March 2010 the RCN surveyed online over 4,000 nurses to establish an understanding of the attitudes of its members in relation to the concept of spirituality and the provision of spiritual care. The study, thought to be the largest of its type in the UK, found more than 95 per cent of nurses felt it was their job to identify a patient’s spiritual needsIn addition nearly 80 per cent called for nursing training to include spirituality and spiritual care.The survey’s results were thought to be so pivotal the RCN later produced a “pocket guide” for their members entitled “Spirituality in nursing care”.

It quotes one member saying: “Spiritual care is a fundamental part of nursing currently much neglected through ignorance and misunderstanding."

This data was quoted in Connection blog "Is it Time to Make Time for Spiritual Care".