Oncology and nononcology nurses' spiritual well-being and attitudes toward spiritual care: a literature review.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review literature about oncology and nononcology nurses' attitudes toward spiritual care and the way that their spiritual well-being influences those attitudes. DATA SOURCES Published research and literature review articles, books, master's theses, and doctoral dissertations. DATA SYNTHESIS Spiritual considerations play an important part in the lives of patients with cancer. Therefore, nurses must not only examine their attitudes toward spiritual care but also identify variables that influence those attitudes. One of the major variables that may influence their attitudes is their own spiritual well-being. CONCLUSIONS A significant association exists between attitudes toward spiritual care and spiritual well-being in nurses who care for nononcology populations. However, little research examines oncology nurses' attitudes toward spiritual care and the way that their spiritual well-being affects those attitudes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Nurse researchers need to examine the spiritual dimension of oncology nurses and the way that this influences attitudes toward spiritual caregiving.