Competency-based spiritual care education program for undergraduate nursing students: a quasi-experimental study

Background: The International Council of Nurses underscores the importance of integrating spirituality into holistic nursing care, advocating for the recognition and respect of individuals’ spiritual beliefs and values. Addressing this need, the European project EPICC (Enhancing Nurses’ and Midwives’ Competence in Providing Spiritual Care through Innovative Education and Compassionate Care) promotes the development of spiritual care competencies within nursing curricula. In Portugal, however, the integration of spiritual care education in undergraduate nursing programmes remains inconsistent. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a digitally mediated pedagogical intervention, based on the EPICC Spiritual Care Education Standard, in enhancing spiritual care competencies among undergraduate nursing students in Portugal. Methods: This quasi-experimental study, conducted in partnership with the University of South Wales during the first semester of 2024, employed a non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design to evaluate the impact of implementing the EPICC matrix. A total of 36 undergraduate nursing students from a Portuguese nursing school participated in a hybrid course, using a digital tool to support learning. The EPICC Spiritual Care Education Standard and the EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool, both translated, validated, and culturally adapted into European Portuguese, were utilised to measure outcomes. Results: A significant improvement in self-reported competencies across all four EPICC domains: Intrapersonal Spirituality, Interpersonal Spirituality, Spiritual Care Assessment and Planning, and Spiritual Care Intervention and Evaluation were demonstrated. Course satisfaction was reported by 80.5% of participants, usability of the digital resource by 77.7%, and 94.4% indicated they would recommend the course to others. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the potential of the EPICC framework to enhance spiritual care competencies among nursing students. These results support the integration of evidence-based spiritual care education into Portuguese undergraduate nursing curricula, facilitated through digital pedagogical approaches.