Abstract
Praying is a spiritual and religious ritual that patients may use to support healing and cope with stress. Illness may challenge the patients’ ability to pray and nursing assistance is needed (Gad et al., 2022). Nurses are uncertain of their role in responding to patients’ prayer needs, as the use of prayer remains controversial (Nilsson, 2022).
This quantitative study explored nurses’ attitudes and perceptions of their role in praying. Data were collected from a self-selected sample of 2,688 RNs in the Florida Board of Nursing, using a 33-item 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire. Factor analysis extracted four subscales labeled as attitudes to prayer, role perception, relevant prayer activities, and challenges to praying. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rho correlation.
The attitudes to prayer subscales had a mean rating of 4.08 and summed mean of 24.5, (SD 5.7, range 6-30) showing positive attitudes to prayer. The usefulness of prayer in healing and nurses feeling better after praying had statistically significant Spearman’s rho correlation with nurses praying for guidance in making decisions (rho .54 and .60, p.00). The role perception subscale had a positive rating (mean 3.49, sum mean 41.9, SD 10.8, range 12-60) and the majority agreed that nurses offering to pray with patients is appropriate. Patient-initiated praying had a higher approval rating than nurse-initiated praying. Patients were asking nurses to pray with or for them and they responded by praying. Referral to pastoral care was also an option nurses used. The items in the challenges subscale were not rated as barriers to praying (mean rating 3.85). Nurses agreed they were competent and comfortable praying even with patients of different faith traditions and that the responsibility for the prayer needs should not be limited to those who are religious.
The study confirmed nurses are praying with patients and support their role in doing so. They agreed that prayer is beneficial in healing and a useful intervention in spiritual care. Dialogue on role determination is needed to address the uncertainty and secrecy in initiating prayer. As Gad et al. (2022) noted, providers should initiate spiritual care regardless of religion. Nurses who desire to pray must be guided to do so safely. These study findings can guide nurse leaders in enabling the use of prayer as a spiritual care tool that can ameliorate stress and foster connections in healing (Hawthorne & Barry).
Notes
References:
1. Gad, I., Tan, X.-W. C., Williams, S., Itawi, S., Dahbour, L., Rotter, Z., Mitro, G., Rusch, C., Perkins, S., & Ali, I. (2022). The religious and spiritual needs of patients in the hospital setting do not depend on patient level of religious/spiritual observance and should be initiated by healthcare providers. Journal of Religion & Health, 61(2), 1120–1138. https://doi-10.1007/s10943-020-01103-7
2. Hawthorne, D. M., & Barry, C. D. (2021). Nurses’ use of spiritual practices in caring for self during the pandemic. Holistic Nursing Practice, 35(5), 242–247. https://doi-10.1097/HNP.0000000000000467
3. Nilsson, H. (2022). Spiritual self-care management for nursing professionals: A holistic approach. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 40(1), 64–73. https://doi-org.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/10.1177/08980101211034341
Additional reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Upsilon Chi
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Parish-based care, Stress and Coping, Instrument and Tool Development, Complementary Health Practices, Prayer
Recommended Citation
Wisdom, Sonia H., "Nurses’ Role in Using Prayer as a Complementary and Alternative Spiritual Care Tool" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 137.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/137
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-12-01
Nurses’ Role in Using Prayer as a Complementary and Alternative Spiritual Care Tool
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Praying is a spiritual and religious ritual that patients may use to support healing and cope with stress. Illness may challenge the patients’ ability to pray and nursing assistance is needed (Gad et al., 2022). Nurses are uncertain of their role in responding to patients’ prayer needs, as the use of prayer remains controversial (Nilsson, 2022).
This quantitative study explored nurses’ attitudes and perceptions of their role in praying. Data were collected from a self-selected sample of 2,688 RNs in the Florida Board of Nursing, using a 33-item 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire. Factor analysis extracted four subscales labeled as attitudes to prayer, role perception, relevant prayer activities, and challenges to praying. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rho correlation.
The attitudes to prayer subscales had a mean rating of 4.08 and summed mean of 24.5, (SD 5.7, range 6-30) showing positive attitudes to prayer. The usefulness of prayer in healing and nurses feeling better after praying had statistically significant Spearman’s rho correlation with nurses praying for guidance in making decisions (rho .54 and .60, p.00). The role perception subscale had a positive rating (mean 3.49, sum mean 41.9, SD 10.8, range 12-60) and the majority agreed that nurses offering to pray with patients is appropriate. Patient-initiated praying had a higher approval rating than nurse-initiated praying. Patients were asking nurses to pray with or for them and they responded by praying. Referral to pastoral care was also an option nurses used. The items in the challenges subscale were not rated as barriers to praying (mean rating 3.85). Nurses agreed they were competent and comfortable praying even with patients of different faith traditions and that the responsibility for the prayer needs should not be limited to those who are religious.
The study confirmed nurses are praying with patients and support their role in doing so. They agreed that prayer is beneficial in healing and a useful intervention in spiritual care. Dialogue on role determination is needed to address the uncertainty and secrecy in initiating prayer. As Gad et al. (2022) noted, providers should initiate spiritual care regardless of religion. Nurses who desire to pray must be guided to do so safely. These study findings can guide nurse leaders in enabling the use of prayer as a spiritual care tool that can ameliorate stress and foster connections in healing (Hawthorne & Barry).
Description
The use of prayer remains controversial and nurses are uncertain of their role in doing so. This study explored the attitudes and perceptions of 2,688 RNs to their role in praying. The findings showed that nurses had positive attitudes and perceptions of their role in praying. They agreed that offering to pray with patients was an appropriate behavior. The challenges were not rated as barriers to praying. The study findings can support the dialogue regarding nurses ‘role in praying in practice.