Abstract
Objective : The objective of the present study was to elucidate factors influencing the spirituality of visiting nurses in A Prefecture using the Spirituality Rating Scale (SRS). Methods : An anonymous self-report questionnaire was administered to a total of 244 visiting nurses working at one of the 40 visiting nursing stations located in A Prefecture. Responses were obtained from a total of 183 nurses, and analysis was performed for 173 complete responses (valid response rate, 70.9%). Items related to the spirituality of visiting nurses were investigated using the SRS-A. The relationships of SRS-A scores to the 11 items identified in a previous study as factors influencing spirituality were analyzed using the t-test as well as multivariate analysis using quantification theory type I. Results and Discussion : Subjects had a mean age of 44.0 years (± 7.8) and a visiting nursing experience of 7.7 years (± 5.6). The mean spirituality score of visiting nurses was 46.8 points (± 8.7), and the score distribution was close to normal. As for relationships to the 11 items thought to influence spirituality, multivariate analysis showed that the items most strongly influencing spirituality were "Having an interest in spirituality" and "Having participated in a workshop (on spirituality)". The present findings suggest that spirituality is not influenced by age or experience, and that interest in spirituality and opportunities for learning about spirituality are important for enhancing the sense of spirituality among visiting nurses.
