Belief systems and patient care: An examination of the relationship between nurse religiosity and end-of-life care

Much has been written about nurses’ responsibility to support patients’ spiritual needs. A plethora of literature explores patient religiosity and its effect on their approach and/or response to health care issues. Interestingly, there is little literature that explores the influence that healthcare providers’ religiosity has on the care they deliver to patients. This dissertation examines the relationship between nurses’ religiosity, their perceived self-efficacy, and the importance they place on aspects of care provided to patients at the end of life. This research was intended to provide a foundation for the future exploration of the importance of understanding the relationship of healthcare providers’ religiosity on other aspects of patient-centered care. This study further supports the body of literature that suggests that end-of-life care is complex and multidimensional. It presents findings that show significant relationships between religiosity, self-efficacy, and the importance that nurses’ report regarding end-of-life care and raises questions about the relationships between religiosity and perceived self-efficacy, and importance that nurses' report regarding end-of-life care. The study has shown that there are differences in nurses’ self-efficacy and the importance they place on aspects of end-of-life care that are based on years of nursing experience and belief systems. Finally, it shows the need for ongoing research that investigates aspects of nursing and end-of-life care.