| The importance of integrating body, mind, and spirit in patient care comprises what today is described as holistic nursing. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how associate degree nursing (ADN) faculty members in secular schools described their experiences related to spirituality in the nursing curriculum and what experiences they had with the integration of spirituality into their nursing courses. The research questions specifically were, 1) How do associate degree nursing faculty members in secular schools describe their experiences related to spirituality in the nursing curriculum?, and 2) What experiences have associate degree nursing faculty members in secular schools had with the integration of spirituality in their nursing courses? Nursing faculty members' experiences with the importance, necessity, and integration of spirituality into the nursing curriculum, and consequently into each course taught in nursing schools, is lacking in the literature. This basic qualitative study was conducted using a semi-structured interview approach either via telephone or face-to-face. Twelve participants offered thick, rich descriptions of their experiences with spirituality and the integration of spirituality into the courses they taught. The participants were faculty members of secular ADN schools located in the Midwestern United States. Eight themes emerged along with participant definitions of spirituality and religion. The themes included 1) the utilization of spiritual assessment tools, 2) where spirituality is embedded in the curriculum, 3) how personal spirituality affects teaching, 4) the incorporation of spirituality into the curriculum, 5) the capability and comfort level of nursing faculty, 6) challenges and successes in implementing spirituality, 7) various teaching strategies utilized, and 8) personal experiences of role modeling. The eighth theme also aligned with the theoretical framework of Modeling and Role-Modeling developed by Erickson, Tomlin, and Swain. Based on the findings, the implications for nursing education include increasing faculty education in teaching spirituality, going back to the basics of holistic nursing, and recognizing the importance of role modeling. This basic qualitative study has increased the understanding of how nursing faculty at secular schools experienced spirituality in the nursing curriculum. Spirituality is an integral part of holistic nursing and cannot be ignored. While this study was conducted in the Midwestern United States, a similar study could be repeated in different geographical areas of the U.S., or globally, where differing religious and/or spiritual beliefs and practices are prevalent. |
