The Effect of Spiritual Self-Care Education on the Distress Tolerance of Nurses in COVID-19 Intensive Care Units

Background: In addition to the serious physical health impacts on nurses, COVID-19 has brought about significant psychological distress. Considering that spirituality as a strong foundation can be a powerful factor in controlling stressful conditions, this study was conducted with the objective of determining the effect of spiritual self-care education on the resilience of nurses working in COVID-19 intensive care units. Methods: We conducted this randomized clinical trial study on 128 nurses working in COVID-19 intensive care units. Nurses were selected using convenience sampling. They were then randomly divided into two groups: intervention (64 nurses) and control (64 nurses). The research group received a spiritually based educational program in 6 sessions of 45 minutes each, held as a one-day event. Five relevant faculty members and the research team examined and approved the validity of the educational content. Two questionnaires (demographic characteristics and distress tolerance) were used to collect data. These questionnaires were completed by both groups before and after the intervention. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS.25 software and statistical tests including the t-test, chi-square, and Fisher's exact test. Results: The mean age of nurses in the control and intervention groups was 35.23 ± 7.68 and 34.95 ± 6.77 years, respectively. The results of the independent samples t-test showed a statistically significant difference in the mean distress tolerance score and all its subscales (tolerance, absorption, evaluation, regulation) between the intervention and control groups after the intervention (P < 0.001). The level of distress tolerance in the intervention group after the intervention (50.40±5.71) increased significantly compared to before the intervention (44.39±5.23) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Ultimately, the results indicated that spiritual self-care training increases distress tolerance in nurses. Therefore, we recommend implementing a spiritual self-care program and planning for nurse participation in spiritual activities to enhance their psychological well-being.