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A Comparison of Constructions of Spirituality in an Australian Nursing Context

  • Western Sydney University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose of study: The purpose of this study was to explore whether the professional construction of spirituality resonates with the experience and understanding of registered nurses (RNs). Design of study: Fairclough's critical discourse analysis approach. Methods used: Participants comprised three RN Standards for Practice research and development team members and 20 RNs working in hospitals in Australia. Data analysis was conducted through the application of Schneider's ten work steps. Findings: Holistic discourse was found to be a common discourse among both groups of participants. Other discourses which the two groups of participants drew from in their constructions of spirituality were mostly unique to each group. Conclusions: The findings have implications for spiritual care practice in the context of holistic nursing, notably in nursing practice standards and nursing education.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)261-271
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Holistic Nursing
Volume44
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2026

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

Keywords

  • empathetic
  • holistic
  • professionalization
  • religious beliefs
  • spiritual

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