Aim: This paper aims to answer the question: What competencies do professional nurses need to provide spiritual care?
Background: Nursing literature from The Netherlands shows little clarity on the qualities that nurses require to provide spiritual care. Although the international literature provides some practical guidance, it is far from conclusive on the required qualities of nurses.
Method: A qualitative literature review was conducted to draw together information from the nursing literature in order to formulate nursing competencies. A format developed for higher nursing education in The Netherlands was used; this consists of description of a general domain, specific competencies, vignettes, key focus and objectives.
Results: The resulting competency profile has three core domains (awareness and use of self, spiritual dimensions of the nursing process, and assurance and quality of expertise) and six core competencies (handling one's own beliefs, addressing the subject, collecting information, discussing and planning, providing and evaluating, and, integrating into policy).
Discussion: Spirituality is a field in nursing that is still in its infancy.
Conclusion: This literature review yields a competency profile that may help to structure future care, research and education in spiritual care by nurses. Implications of the work for future research and education are discussed.