The Nurse’s Handbook of Spiritual Care helps nurses develop a high level of competence in spiritual and existential care as an important part of holistic nursing.

Every patient and situation a nurse encounters is unique, and spiritual relationships can be expressed and met in a variety of ways. This handbook covers the fundamentals of spiritual care, written to inspire and challenge the reader. It provides a space for reflection and encourages lifelong learning. The authors present a new teaching-learning theory—the learning spiral—to enable and empower readers to ‘tune in’ to patients and work to soothe spiritual suffering and existential pain, ultimately facilitating patient well-being.

Sample topics covered in The Nurse’s Handbook of Spiritual Care include:

• What is spiritual care, the spiritual as part of whole person care including existential challenges, value based matters, and religious considerations and practices
• Exercises to get better acquainted with yourself, such as working with your own view of life and personal story, and how to prepare yourself to go outside your comfort zone
• Spiritual care skills and competencies, features and qualifications of the helper, and moving from student to lifelong learning as a nurse

Pamela Cone has been a nurse since 1974 and a nurse educator for 31 years. She is a Professor in graduate level nursing and has taught courses in nursing theory, research, international health, and writing, at Azusa Pacific University, California, USA.

Tove Giske has been a nurse since 1982 and worked in nursing education for more than 30 years. She is a Professor of Nursing and works as a researcher and educator at VID Specialized University, Faculty of Health Studies, Bergen. Dr. Giske is a member of the EPICC network and leader of excellence in the research project Spiritual Care Education and Practice Development.