Examination of spiritual care needs of oncology patients and spiritual care competencies of oncology nurses

Purpose: Purpose of the study was to investigate both the needs of spiritual care of oncology patients and spiritual care competencies of oncology nurses. Material and Method: This study was a descriptive study, 324 patients and 17 nurses participated in the study, spiritual needs scale was used for patient and for nurse spiritual care competency scale was used. Results: In the Spiritual Needs Scale applied to patients; In first-dimension for divine there was need for "To have someone pray with or for you" (56.8%). In the second sub-dimension, for appreciation of beauty, it was needed for "To experience or appreciate beauty" (64.8%). In third sub-dimension for meaning and purpose, it was needed "To make sense of why this happened to you" (43.8%). In forth sub-dimension for love and belonging it was needed "to give or receive love" (71.3%). In fifth sub-dimension for death and resolution it was needed "To review your life" (49.2%). In the sixth sub-dimension, for positivity/gratitude/hope/peace it was needed for "providing a positive perspective" (59.9%). In the Spiritual Care Competency Scale applied to nurses, the general point of spiritual care competency scale found 3.77 ± 0.45. Conclusion: it could be said that more than half of oncology patients need to spiritual care. It also could be said for nurses who will care, oncology patients, their spiritual care competency was average/medium and it wasn't expected levels.