Spirituality in palliative care from the perspectives of nurses, patients, and patient relatives: a cross-sectional study in Türkiye

Spiritual concerns are central to holistic palliative care, yet few studies have examined nurses, patients, and patient relatives within the same care setting. This study assessed spiritual well-being and spirituality-related perceptions across these three groups. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the palliative care unit of an education and research hospital in western Türkiye. The sample consisted of 60 nurses, 60 patients, and 60 patient relatives. Data were collected using introductory information forms, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWS), the Spirituality Scale (SS), and the Perceived Spiritual Support Scale (PSSS). Mean SWS scores were 113.78 ± 13.44 for nurses, 106.28 ± 14.35 for patients, and 119.15 ± 12.49 for patient relatives. Nurses had a mean PSSS score of 52.75 ± 7.77. Patient relatives from extended families had higher SS Harmony with Nature scores than those from nuclear families, while patients from extended families had higher SS Connection scores. Spiritual well-being and spirituality-related perceptions were generally high across the three groups. The observed associations with family structure suggest that family context may be relevant to spirituality in palliative care; however, the cross-sectional design precludes causal interpretation.