The Effect of Spiritual Self-Care Education on the Distress Tolerance of Nurses in COVID-19 Intensive Care Units
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Abstract
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. Samples were initially selected through convenience sampling and then randomly allocated to 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. Data were collected using demographic questionnaires and a standard questionnaire on distress tolerance, before and after the intervention in both groups. We conducted data analysis using SPSS version 25 software, employing independent t-test, paired t-test, Fisher test, and Chi-square test statistical analyses. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean age in the intervention group was 34.95 ± 6.77 years, and in the control group was 35.23 ± 7.68 years. The independent t-test showed a significant difference between the average distress tolerance score and all its subscales (tolerance, absorption, evaluation, regulation) between the intervention and control groups after the implementation of spiritual self-care training (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: Spiritual self-care education increases the distress tolerance of nurses working in COVID-19 intensive care units. Therefore, we recommend implementing a spiritual self-care program and planning for nurse participation in spiritual activities to enhance their psychological well-being.
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