Spirituality, Stress, and Retention of Nurses in Critical Care

In Brief Providing care to patients in critical care units generates stress. Helping the critical care nurse manage this stress can lead to better patient experiences and higher nursing retention. While providing holistic care to patients produces better outcomes, addressing the holistic needs of the caregiver must also be considered. Included in the holistic needs of the nurse is their spiritual well-being. A study that measures spiritual well-being, stress, and nursing retention is the focus of this review. This article, written by a chaplain, discusses the holistic needs of critical care nurses, including spiritual well-being. The needs of the critical care nurses must also be addressed in order to counteract many of the stressors involved in caring for critically ill patients.