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Dilemmas of spiritual assessment: considerations for nursing practice

Background. Interest in the spiritual dimension of nursing has resulted in a proliferation of published research internationally that is very prescriptive, suggesting that nurses should be providing spiritual care. However, little research has been published that provides nurses with a potential framework for the assessment and subsequent delivery of spiritual care. It would appear that there is a consensus of opinion that nurses can and should be able to undertake an assessment of their patients' spiritual needs. However, such assumptions may be unfounded, inaccurate, misguided and potentially detrimental to patient care.

Aim. This article explores the area of spiritual assessment, drawing on the international literature, highlighting potential dilemmas in conducting a spiritual assessment. A review of some of the currently available spiritual …