Spirituality and religion and the role in improving teaching approaches to diversity and inclusion in the nursing and midwifery curriculum: an explanatory sequential multi-methods study

TL;DR

This study explores how spirituality and religion can be better integrated into nursing and midwifery education to promote diversity and inclusion.

Contribution

It introduces a new approach to incorporating spirituality and religion into healthcare education to enhance inclusivity.

Findings

Spirituality is seen as personal and linked to understanding one's place in the world.

Religion is associated with community identity but can also lead to exclusion.

Participants believe integrating spirituality and religion into education can foster greater inclusion.

Abstract

Spirituality and religion play an important role in many people’s lives. While healthcare professionals support people from a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and belief systems, these dimensions are often missing from assessments and care plans. Using the lens of nursing and midwifery students and academic teaching staff, this study sought to explore how the concepts of spirituality and religion could be better incorporated into nursing and midwifery teaching programmes, while acting as a possible conduit for exploring the richness of diversity and inclusion.

An explanatory sequential multi-methods study, to include an online survey (n = 114 responses) and focus groups (n = 11 participants). Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Integration of the quantitative and qualitative data was achieved through a pillar integration process.

The concept of spirituality was viewed as predominately positive, something personal to individuals and linked to how people make sense of their place in the world. Religion was seen as a connectedness to a community with common beliefs and a shared identity. However, the rules and regulations associated with religion, were perceived by some respondents as leading to intolerance and the exclusion of others. Overall, participants believed that greater awareness of spirituality and religion could help people to be more aware and to be more welcoming of diversity leading to greater inclusion. Participants believed that these concepts should be included in teaching programmes and integrated with clinical practice.

Students and clinical practitioners should be encouraged to increase their knowledge and awareness towards spiritual and religious issues. This awareness may begin with students and clinical practitioners reflecting on their own beliefs and values enabling them to be more sensitive to and respond to the beliefs and values of others. Insights gained by this study may be valuable to healthcare educators and policymakers highlighting the need for greater awareness of spirituality and religion in health and social care training.

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The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-025-04193-4.