Exploring Spiritual Care Competence Among Geriatric Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study with a Multicultural Perspective from China

Inadequate spiritual care competence negatively impacts the quality of care for older people, particularly in multicultural contexts. This study explores the spiritual care competence of geriatric nurses in China and the influencing predictors. Participants were selected through convenience sampling between June 2021 and March 2022. The Chinese version of the Spiritual Care Competency Questionnaire (C-SCC) assessed the spiritual care competencies of geriatric nurses. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 through nonparametric tests and multiple linear regression. The median total spiritual care competence score indicated a moderate level of competence. The highest scores were in spiritual care knowledge literacy and spirituality/spiritual care value cognition, while spiritual self-awareness scored lowest. Regression analysis found that nurses with higher monthly incomes (¥8,000-¥9,999 or ≥ ¥10,000) had significantly greater spiritual care competence than those earning ≤ ¥4,999. Permanent civil service employees scored higher than short-term contract workers. Nurses currently participating in spirituality-related training scored higher than those not taking such training. Higher scores were also associated with being satisfied with providing gerontology care services, perceiving spiritual care for older adults as very necessary or necessary (vs. unnecessary), and expressing a strong or moderate desire for spiritual care training (P < 0.05). Spiritual care competence was shaped by controllable and uncontrollable factors in a multicultural context. Enhancing this competence promotes equity in spiritual health.