{"id":1337,"date":"2018-01-22T18:42:38","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T18:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stg-blogs.bmj.com\/ebn\/?p=1337"},"modified":"2018-01-23T08:47:38","modified_gmt":"2018-01-23T08:47:38","slug":"enhancing-nurses-competence-in-providing-spiritual-care-through-innovative-education-and-compassionate-care-epicc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stg-blogs.bmj.com\/ebn\/2018\/01\/22\/enhancing-nurses-competence-in-providing-spiritual-care-through-innovative-education-and-compassionate-care-epicc\/","title":{"rendered":"Enhancing Nurses\u2019 Competence in Providing Spiritual Care through Innovative Education and Compassionate Care (EPICC)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Wilfred McSherry (Staffordshire University, England)<\/cite><\/p>\n

Dr Linda Ross (University of South Wales, Wales) \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/cite><\/p>\n

Dr Tove Giske (VID Specialized University, Bergen, Norway)<\/cite><\/p>\n

Dr Rene van Leeuwen (Christian University of Applied Sciences Viaa, Zwolle, Netherlands)<\/cite><\/p>\n

Dr Tormod Kleiven (formerly Diakonova University College, now VID Specialized University, Oslo, \"\"<\/a>Norway)<\/cite><\/p>\n

The late Professor Donia Baldacchino\u00a0<\/cite><\/p>\n

Dr Josephine Attard (University of Malta)<\/cite><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The mantra of patient-centred, dignified and compassionate care has become very prominent across health and social care. This is primarily due to the high profile cases reporting violations in dignity, quality and standards of care. Arguably, patient-centred care must address all dimensions of the person (physical, psychological, social and spiritual). Yet despite the concepts of spirituality and spiritual care receiving a great deal of attention and debate in the international healthcare literature, it is still a neglected dimension of care. The reason for this may include lack of clarity around its meaning, fear of accusations of proselytization and inadequate educational preparation.<\/p>\n

Many nursing and midwifery professional regulatory and educational bodies require nurses and midwives, at point of registration, to be able to address the personal, religious and spiritual beliefs of their clients as part of person-centred holistic care. How learners acquire these skills, however, is less clear. Our research to date highlights that the teaching student nurses and midwives receive is important in their learning about spiritual\/person-centred care, yet there is a great deal of inconsistency in how this topic is addressed within programmes of nurse education across Europe (Ross et al., 2014, 2016). Despite these inconsistences there is a great deal of innovation in the teaching of spiritual and person-centred care that needs to be captured, shared and built-upon to ensure nursing and midwifery students are equipped to address the holistic needs of the people they care for. This will ensure the nursing and midwifery workforce of the future is prepared to address some of the global challenges that are impacting on international nursing, midwifery and healthcare.<\/p>\n

In order to address the inconsistencies identified in the preparation of pre-registration nurses and midwives to provide spiritual care, the six international partners (outlined above) developed the \u2018Enhancing Nurses\u2019 Competence in Providing Spiritual Care through Innovative Education and Compassionate Care\u2019 (EPICC) project. The 33-month EPICC project is funded through an Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnership Grant Agreement Number: 2016-1-UK01-KA203-024467<\/p>\n

The aims of the project are to:<\/span><\/p>\n