The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of Confucianism on health behaviors, health outcomes and medical decisions. The research was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, CINHAL, PsycINFO and Web of Science, without restrictions of language and year of publication. The search process identified 833 publications matching the search criteria, and after the review process, 40 articles were included. Family is a central aspect of Confucianism, and it seems to affect participation in medical decisions, taking care of relatives, ethical dilemmas and mental health problems. Although most Confucianist influence seems to be positive, some ways of thinking could increase suffering, burnout and a delay in healthcare seeking. Understanding these values could help health professionals to deal with the growing contingent of patients with different cultures and religious beliefs.

To investigate the relationship between spirituality / religiousness and Burnout Syndrome in nurses, as well as to examine the current evidence for spiritual/religious interventions to alleviate their symptoms. A scoping review was conducted using CINAHL, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Pubmed databases, and grey literature, between January and July 2020. Two researchers performed the searches with a 95% agreement rate for the inclusion and exclusion of the studies. Both quantitative and qualitative studies published in peer-reviewed journals, using Spanish, Portuguese or English language were included. Restriction on publication date was not applied. A total of 1143 articles were identified and 18 were included in the final analysis. Quality assessment was performed, following CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA and COREQ guidelines. Finally, the following data were extracted: authors, year, country, study design and sample characteristics, purpose of the study, and major findings. The results of the present review show that spirituality / religiousness is a common strategy used by nurses when coping with stress and burnout. Most studies reveal that spiritual and religious beliefs are correlated with lower levels of burnout, exhaustion and depersonalization in different settings. Nevertheless, two studies have not found any relationship and one study has found worse outcomes. There is a lack of experimental studies trying to examine if spiritual interventions could modify burnout levels in clinical practice. Health managers should be aware of the spirituality / religiousness of their nurses and provide the appropriate spiritual support.

Spiritual interventions have proved to alleviate suffering, help the patient to prepare for end of life issues, improve quality of life, and well-being. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of religious and spiritual interventions in nursing care to promote mental, physical and spiritual health as compared to control groups not receiving such care. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials from SCOPUS, PUBMED, Web of Science and CINAHL databases. The searches were carried out between May and July 2020 without restrictions concerning the date of publication. Peer-reviewed articles published in English, Portuguese or Spanish, focusing on nurses were included. This study followed the PRISMA guidelines. In addition, the CONSORT and The Cochrane Collaborations tool for assessing risk of bias were followed. The search process identified 1308 publications, 18 randomized controlled trials were included for the systematic review and 9 for the meta-analysis. The meta-analyses revealed that spiritual interventions were associated with lower mental health symptoms (SMD = -6.91 [-9.83,-3.98], p < 0.001, I2 = 99 %), greater well-being (SMD = 1.26 [0.58, 1.93], p < 0.001, I2 = 94 %) and higher levels of spirituality (SMD = 0.48 [0.29, 0.67], p < 0.001, I2 = 31 %) as compared to individuals in the control group. Spiritual interventions seem to be effective to promote health, as seen for mental health, spirituality, well-being and physical outcomes. Nevertheless, more than half of the studies have a high risk of bias in any of the dimensions evaluated and there is an important heterogeneity among interventions and outcomes. This is particularly important to nurses and nurse managers who want to provide a holistic care to their patients.

The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been affecting populations globally since the end of 2019. Previous studies have indicated that spirituality in these times of crisis serves as a source of hope and well-being that helps people get through the day. This study investigated the role of spirituality and religiosity in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. An integrative review of the scientific literature available on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and a review of the gray literature in the Information System on Gray Literature in Europe (OpenGrey) were carried out. From a total of 1,338 articles searched; 25 articles were included in this review (22 quantitative observational, 2 qualitative and one randomized controlled trial). Our findings revealed the importance of including spirituality in clinical practice for both health professionals and patients. On the one hand, spirituality can be considered a good coping strategy used by healthcare professionals to promote mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting in greater patient satisfaction with the care given. On the other hand, addressing spiritual needs of individuals leads to a reduction in stress, anxiety, depression, and an increase in resilience and hope among patients.

Background: Spiritual care could help family members and critically ill patients to cope with anxiety, stress and depression. However, health care professionals are poorly prepared and health managers are not allocating all the resources needed.Aims and objectives: To critically review the empirical evidence concerning the influence of spirituality and religion (S‐R) on critical care nursing.Methods: An integrative review of the literature published in the last 10 years (2010‐2019) was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, CINHAL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane and LILACS. In addition, searches were performed in the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe and the Grey Literature Report. Quantitative and/or qualitative studies, assessing S‐R and including health care professionals caring for critically ill patients (i.e. adults or children), were included.Results: Forty articles were included in the final analysis (20 qualitative, 19 quantitative and 1 with a mixed methodology). The studies embraced the following themes: S‐R importance and the use of coping among critical care patients and families; spiritual needs of patients and families; health care professionals' awareness of spiritual needs; ways to address spiritual care in the intensive care unit (ICU); definition of S‐R by health care professionals; perceptions and barriers of addressing spiritual needs; and influence of S‐R on health care professionals' outcomes and decisions. Our results indicate that patients and their families use S‐R coping strategies to alleviate stressful situations in the ICU and that respecting patients' spiritual beliefs is an essential component of critical care. Although nurses consider spiritual care to be very important, they do not feel prepared to address S‐R and report lack of time as the main barrier.Conclusion and implications for practice: Critical care professionals should be aware about the needs of their patients and should be trained to handle S‐R in clinical practice. Nurses are encouraged to increase their knowledge and awareness towards spiritual issues.