The relationship between nurses' levels of self-compassion and their perceptions of spiritual care

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between nurses' levels of self-compassion and their perceptions of spiritual care. The study was conducted among 283 nurses working at Adıyaman Training and Research Hospital between October 2023 and June 2024. The Descriptive Information Form, Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF) and The Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) were used to collect data. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient. The mean age of the participating nurses was 33.6±7.5 years, 75.6% were female, 84.8% were bachelor graduates, and 46.6% worked in mixed day and night shifts. The mean scores of the nurses on the SCS-SF and SSCRS were 36.1±6.2 and 2.4±0.5, respectively. The self-compassion level of nurses with high job satisfaction and spiritual care knowledge was found to be higher (p<0.05). The level of self-compassion was found to be highest in nurses who felt sufficient in spiritual care, whereas the level of self-compassion was found to be lowest in those who felt insufficient (p<0.05). The level of spirituality and spiritual care perception of male nurses was higher than that of female nurses (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation between the SCS-SF and the SSCRS (r: -0.071; p: 0.236). The results of the study show that nurses' self-compassion levels are at an intermediate level, their perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care are below the intermediate level, and there is no significant relationship between these two variables. These findings highlight the need and importance of supporting nurses with training and interventions to increase their levels of self-compassion and their perceptions of spiritual care. Keywords: Compassion; Nursing; Self compassion; Spiritual care; Spiritual well being care