Spirituality in nursing and health-related literature: a concept analysis.
Spirituality has become an increasingly popular concept among the nursing and health-related literature. The purpose for conducting this concept analysis, guided by Walker and Avant's methodology, was to (a) examine how spirituality has been used within the current body of nursing and health-related literature, (b) clarify the meaning of spirituality by discovering what this concept's current critical attributes/characteristics are, and (c) propose a definition of spirituality based on the concept analysis findings. A total of 90 references were reviewed, including 73 nursing and health-related references. Concept analysis findings revealed that spirituality was defined within four main themes in the nursing and health-related literature: (a) spirituality as religious systems of beliefs and values (spirituality = religion); (b) spirituality as life meaning, purpose, and connection with others; (c) spirituality as nonreligious systems of beliefs and values; and (d) spirituality as metaphysical or transcendental phenomena.
Sessanna
Loralee
L
The State University of New York, School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, USA. ls33@buffalo.edu
Finnell
Deborah
D
Jezewski
Mary Ann
MA
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D006694:Holistic Health; D018939:Holistic Nursing; D006808:Humanism; D006801:Humans; D016294:Models, Nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D009742:Nursing Theory; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D029181:Spirituality