Effects of Spiritual Nursing Care on Loneliness and Spiritual Well-Being of Terminal Cancer Patients

영적 간호가 말기 암환자의 외로움과 영적 안녕에 미치는 효과

Purpose: This study utilized a non-equivalent control group pre-post design to assess the effects of spiritual nursing care on loneliness and spiritual well-being of terminal cancer patients. Method: Forty-one terminal cancer patients in a general hospital, were divided into an experimental group of 20 patients and a control group of 21 patients. Those in the experimental group received four weeks of treatment three times a week for about 45 minutes each session. The treatment included nurses' spiritual care involving five instruments of spiritual nursing intervention, each of which was used according to the six types of spiritual need assessment. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics including real number, percentage, $X^2$-test, t-test, and ANCOVA. Result: There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the level of loneliness and spiritual well-being. Conclusion: Spiritual nursing care was verified as an effective program that can lessen the loneliness and improve the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal cancer.