Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41472533›Full record

ArticleNursing open2026

Self-Perceived Spiritual Care Competencies Among Nursing and Midwifery Students in Slovenia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Nataša Mlinar Reljić, Wilfred Mcsherry, Metka Skubic, Andreja Mihelič-Zajec, Katarina Babnik, Klelija Štrancar, Igor Karnjuš

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nursing open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Nataša Mlinar ReljićFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1148-0831
Wilfred McsherryDepartment of Nursing, School of Health, Education, Policing and Sciences, University of Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0932-5875
Metka SkubicFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7368-1968
Andreja Mihelič-ZajecFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5612-6570
Katarina BabnikFaculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4925-1110
Klelija ŠtrancarZavod spremljam te, Divača, Slovenia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7392-6179
Igor KarnjušFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5691-0036

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimSpiritual care is vital to patient-centred care, yet gaps persist in nursing and midwifery education. This study presents the self-assessed spiritual care competencies of Slovenian nursing and midwifery students.

designA cross-sectional design was used.

methodsA non-experimental, cross-sectional design was applied to a purposive sample of 319 undergraduate and graduate nursing and midwifery students. Data were collected based on the Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool.

resultsThe results showed that 51.7% (n = 165) of students demonstrated a moderate level of spiritual care competence, 40.4% (n = 129) achieved a good level and only 5.3% (n = 17) attained a high level. Nursing students scored significantly higher than midwifery students (p < 0.05), particularly in intrapersonal and interpersonal spirituality. Female students reported higher competence in spiritual care planning and interpersonal spirituality compared with males (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found regarding study format, year of study, or religious affiliation.

conclusionsThe findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions to improve spiritual care training, ensuring all healthcare students develop the necessary competencies to provide holistic, patient-centred care. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Nursing and midwifery students participated in this study.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceMidwiferySelf ConceptSpiritualityStudents, NursingAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSloveniaSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adultcompetenciesmidwifery studentsnursing studentsself‐assessmentspiritual care

Identifiers

PMID41472533
PMCPMC12754567

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.