The Relationship Between Volunteers’ Attitude Towards Palliative Care and Spiritual Care Competence: a Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background: With the rising burden of palliative care and limited health care resource, volunteers are an integral resource in palliative care. However, the spiritual care competence and the relationship between spiritual care competence and attitude towards palliative care among volunteers has rarely been investigated. This study examined volunteers’ spiritual care competence; and identified factors affecting spiritual care competence.Methods: The correlational study was conducted with 385 volunteers in Shanghai, China. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Results: Volunteers’ spiritual care competence level was not high (58.50±10.92). And attitude towards palliative care was significantly correlated with spiritual care competence (r=0.49, p<0.001). A statistically significant correlation was found between spiritual care competence and the following variables: age, education background, marital status, religious belief, occupational status, relevant experience of practice and training.Conclusion: A need exists to organize and design diversified education and training programs about spiritual care targeting to different kinds of volunteers to continually improve their spiritual care competence. Considering attitude towards palliative care is a significant factor of spiritual care competence, education and training programs should be developed to help volunteers establish positive attitude towards palliative care.