Abstract
Spiritual sensitivity refers to awareness and perception of the attitudes and feelings of others and helps nurses to recognize and take responsibility for the spiritual values and needs of patients. The dimensions of spiritual sensitivity remain unknown as there is no comprehensive and standardized scale for assessing nurses’ spiritual sensitivity; therefore, the current research aimed to design and validate the nurses’ spiritual sensitivity scale. We conducted this exploratory sequential study using eight stages suggested by DeVellis (2016) when developing the scale. We conducted this study among Iranian nurses from March 2021 to October 2022. Results suggested a 20-item scale with two components (nurses’ professional spiritual sensitivity and nurses’ internal spiritual sensitivity) that explained 57.62% of the total variance extracted. We were able to confirm convergent validity based on an acceptable correlation between the nurses’ spiritual sensitivity scale and the King’s spiritual intelligence scale (r = 0.66), which showed good stability (cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.927, omega coefficient = 0.923, and icc = 0.937). Spiritual sensitivity in nurses is difficult to evaluate. Considering the acceptability of the psychometric properties of the “Nurses’ spiritual sensitivity” scale, this scale can be used in clinical environments to evaluate nurses’ spiritual sensitivity. Therefore, it is suggested that managers and policy makers should consider developing related guidelines to help nurses to become more spiritually sensitive and also to meet the spiritual needs of patients. We suggest further studies to confirm the study results in the nursing community.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdullah, M. I., Huang, D., Sarfraz, M., Ivascu, L., & Riaz, A. (2021). Effects of internal service quality on nurses’ job satisfaction, commitment and performance: Mediating role of employee well-being. Nursing Open, 8(2), 607–619. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.665
Ahmadi, Z., Haghi Kashani, M., Nikravan, M., & Mahdipour, E. (2021). Fog-based healthcare systems: A systematic review. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 80, 36361–36400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-021-11227-x
Akbari, O., Dehghan, M., & Tirgari, B. (2022). Muslim nurse’s spiritual sensitivity as a higher perception and reflection toward spiritual care: A qualitative study in southeast Iran. BMC Nursing, 21(1), 270. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01044-4
Al-Ansari, B., Noroozi, A., Thow, A. M., Day, C. A., Mirzaie, M., & Conigrave, K. M. (2020). Alcohol treatment systems in muslim majority countries: Case study of alcohol treatment policy in Iran. The International Journal on Drug Policy, 80(1), 102753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102753
Callahan, A. M. (2012). A qualitative exploration of spiritually sensitive hospice care. Journal of Social Service Research, 38(2), 144–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2011.619425
Desai F (2019) Evaluating spiritual sensitivity in teacher training institutions of South Gujarat, India: A study. Academicsera International Conference, Bali, Indonesia.
DeVellis, R. F. (2016). Scale development: Theory and applications. Sage Publications 26
DeVon, H. A., Block, M. E., Moyle-Wright, P., Ernst, D. M., Hayden, S. J., Lazzara, D. J., Savoy, S. M., & Kostas-Polston, E. (2007). A psychometric toolbox for testing validity and reliability. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 39(2), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2007.00161.x
Dong, Y., & Peng, C. Y. J. (2013). Principled missing data methods for researchers. Springerplus, 2(1), 222. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-2-222
Fazlollahi, M., Ramezani, M., Asghari Nekah, S. M., Saki, A., & Jahangir Feyzabadi, M. J. (2022). The effects of meaning-centered play on spiritual sensitivity of children: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, 10(1), 42–53. https://doi.org/10.30476/IJCBNM.2021.90120.1669
Finch, H., French, B. F., & Immekus, J. C. (2016). Applied psychometrics using SPSS and AMOS. Information Age Publishing Inc.
Ikonen, E., & Ubani, M. (2014). Spiritual sensitivity in the classroom: A teaching experiment in Finnish upper secondary religious education. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 19(2), 69–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436x.2014.909387
Kalkbrenner, M. T. (2021). Alpha, omega, and h internal consistency reliability estimates: Reviewing these options and when to use them. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, 14(1), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/21501378.2021.1940118
Kapala, M., Kowal, J., & Straś-Romanowska, M. (2016). Gender and spiritual sensitivity in An It Users workplace. An experimental study in Poland. Proceedings of the international conference on ICT management for global competitiveness and economic growth in emerging economies: Poland
Kazemi, S. Y., Jafari, A., Rabiei, L., Nikfarjam, M., Omidi, M., & Masoudi, R. (2022). Exploring the concept of spiritual sensitivity from the perspectives of healthcare providers in Iran. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(5), 3806–3821. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01404-5
King, D., & DeCicco, T. (2009). A viable model and self-report measure of spiritual intelligence. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies (IJTS)., 28(1), 68–85. https://doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2009.28.1.68
Koenig, H. G., & Al Zaben, F. (2021). Psychometric validation and translation of religious and spiritual measures. Journal of Religion and Health, 60(5), 3467–3483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01373-9
Koo, T. K., & Li, M. Y. (2016). A guideline of selecting and reporting intraclass correlation coefficients for reliability research. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 15(2), 155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.012
Lawshe, C. H. (1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel Psychology, 28(4), 563–575. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1975.tb01393.x
Mandal, L., Seethalakshmi, A., & Rajendrababu, A. (2020). Rationing of nursing care, a deviation from holistic nursing: A systematic review. Nursing Philosophy: an International Journal for Healthcare Professionals, 21(1), e12257. https://doi.org/10.1111/nup.12257
Murgia, C., Notarnicola, I., Caruso, R., De Maria, M., Rocco, G., & Stievano, A. (2022). Spirituality and religious diversity in nursing: A scoping review. Healthcare (basel), 10(9), 1661. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10091661
Paal, P., Helo, Y., & Frick, E. (2015). Spiritual care training provided to healthcare professionals: A systematic review. The Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, 69(1), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1542305015572955
Polit, D. F., & Yang, F. (2015). Measurement and the measurement of change: a primer for the health professions. Wolters Kluwer Health.
Polit, D. F., & Yang, F. (2016). Measurement and the measurement of change: a primer for the health professions. Wolters Kluwer Philadelphia
Polit, D. F., Beck, C. T., & Owen, S. V. (2007). Is the CVI an acceptable indicator of content validity? Appraisal and recommendations. Research in Nursing and Health, 30(4), 459–467. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20199
Rodgers, B. L. (1989). Concepts, analysis and the development of nursing knowledge: The evolutionary cycle. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 14(4), 330–335. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.1989.tb03420.x
Sadeghi, N., Hasanpour, M., Heidarzadeh, M., Alamolhoda, A., & Waldman, E. (2016). Spiritual needs of families with bereavement and loss of an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit: A qualitative study. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 52(1), 35–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2015.12.344
Seyed Bagheri, S. H., Dehghan, M., & Khoshab, H. (2020). Post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic growth among muslim CPR survivors. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(6), 3157–3167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00946-z
Shahhosseini, Z., Simbar, M., Ramezankhani, A., & Majd, H. A. (2012). An inventory for assessment of the health needs of Iranian female adolescents. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal., 18(8), 850–856. https://doi.org/10.26719/2012.18.8.850
Stoyles, G. J., Stanford, B., Caputi, P., Keating, A.-L., & Hyde, B. (2012). A measure of spiritual sensitivity for children. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 17(3), 203–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436x.2012.733683
Straś-Romanowska, M., Kowal, J., & Kapała, M. (2016). How to measure spiritual sensitivity at the IT user’s workplace The construction process and method of validation of spiritual sensitivity inventory (SSI). Econometrics Ekonometria Advances in Applied Data Analysis, 2(2): 53–76. https://doi.org/10.15611/ekt.2016.2.05
Taber, K. S. (2017). The use of cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48, 1273–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
Taherdoost, H. (2019). What is the best response scale for survey and questionnaire design; review of different lengths of rating scale/attitude scale/Likert scale. International Journal of Academic Research in Management (IJARM), 8(1), 1–12.
Tirri, K., & Nokelainen, P. (2011). Spiritual sensitivity scale. In K. Tirri & P. Nokelainen (Eds.), Measuring multiple intelligences and moral sensitivities in education (pp. 15–36). Zuid-Holland: Sense Publishers.
Tirri, K., Nokelainen, P., & Ubani, M. (2006). Conceptual definition and empirical validation of the spiritual sensitivity scale. Journal of Empirical Theology, 19(1), 37–62. https://doi.org/10.1163/157092506776901870
Torres, G. C. S., & Macindo, J. R. B. (2018). Scale development and psychometric evaluation of the preoperative assessment of readiness tool. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 33(6), 895–907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2016.07.010
Turkben Polat, H., & Ozdemir, A. A. (2022). Relationship between compassion and spiritual care among nurses in Turkey. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(3), 1894–1905. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01287-6
Vanchapo, A. R., Merlin, N. M., & Mahoklory, S. S. (2019). The correlation between workload and occupational stress of nurses in the emergency department of regional public hospital RSUD prof. Dr. WZ Johannes Kupang. Indonesian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 7(1): 18–23. doi https://doi.org/10.21927/jnki
Waltz, C. F., Strickland, O. L., & Lenz, E. R. (2010). Measurement in nursing and health research (4th ed.). London: Springer.
Weathers, E., McCarthy, G., & Coffey, A. (2016). Concept analysis of spirituality: An evolutionary approach. Nursing Forum, 51(2), 79–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12128
Wetmore, J. B., Arbelo, J. M., Catalan, M. J., Valldeoriola, F., Rodriguez-Blazquez, C., & Martinez-Martin, P. (2019). Psychometric properties of the apathy scale in advanced parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s Disease, 2019, 1965394. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/1965394
Zhang, Y., Yash Pal, R., Tam, W. S. W., Lee, A., Ong, M., & Tiew, L. H. (2018). Spiritual perspectives of emergency medicine doctors and nurses in caring for end-of-life patients: A mixed-method study. International Emergency Nursing, 37, 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2017.07.001
Zumstein-Shaha, M., Ferrell, B., & Economou, D. (2020). Nurses’ response to spiritual needs of cancer patients. European Oncology Nursing Society, 48, 101792. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2020.101792
Funding
The authors have not disclosed any funding.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Ethical Approval
The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by IR.KMU.REC.1399.418. This study was conducted following the ethical guidelines outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki in 2021–2022. The Ethics Committee of Kerman University of Medical Sciences approved all of the study’s processes and procedures. Following confirmation, some explanations were given orally to the participants, including the study’s objectives, the method of data collection and recording, the role of the researcher and the participants, and the observance of the privacy and confidentiality of the data, as well as the assurance that the participants were free to withdraw from the study at any time. The participants were then invited to participate in the study, and written informed consent was obtained.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Akbari, O., Dehghan, M. & Tirgari, B. Development and Validation of the Nurses’ Spiritual Sensitivity Scale in Southeastern Iran. J Relig Health 62, 3529–3545 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01805-8
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01805-8