The effect of spiritual care on death anxiety in hemodialysis patients with end-stage of renal disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Spiritual care along with other nursing interventions balance body and soul. This study aimed to determine the effect of spiritual care on death anxiety in hemodialysis patients with end-stage of renal disease.

Methods & Materials:

A clinical trial (IRCT2016308226961N1) was performed in Hamadan’s Shahid Beheshti and Besat hospitals in 2016. A total of 60 hemodialysis patients with end-stage of renal disease were randomly assigned into two groups of intervention (30 patients) and control (30 patients). In the intervention group, the spiritual care program consisted of protective care, supporting the patient’s rituals and using the support systems, was performed in hemodialysis ward at the patient’s bedside. The control group only received routine nursing care. The Templar’s death anxiety questionnaire was completed by both groups before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics using the SPSS software version 16.

The average score for death anxiety before the intervention between the intervention group (8.10±2.26) and control group (8.53±2.47) had not significant difference (P=0.482), while the average score for death anxiety after the intervention had statistically significant difference (P=0.004) between the intervention group with median value of 8.0 (6.00-8.25) and control group with median value of 9.0 (7.00-10.25), and the patients’ death anxiety reduced in the intervention group.

Spiritual care program reduced death anxiety in hemodialysis patients with end-stage of renal disease. Nurses can use spiritual care program to reduce patients’ death anxiety.