Page 515 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

482 n SpIRITUAlITy

support from both supervisors and cowork- a global problem, comprehensive strategies
ers increased, intention to stay at work including workplace support groups should
S increased. ellenbecker (2004) also found a be designed to enhance nurses’ retention.
positive association between retention and
group cohesion. That is, as group cohesion Raeda Fawzi AbuAlRub
increased, retention increased too.
On the other hand, the literature showed
inconsistent results for the buffering effect
of social support. For example, the results of Spirituality
Stewart and Barling (1996), who examined
the effect of social support on the stress–per-
formance relationship, indicated that only Spirituality in the broadest sense is con-
informational social support moderated or cerned with the facet of human being that
buffered the subjective stress–performance is an unseen yet vital life force, the pneuma
relationship. That is, increased informational (greek), ruach (hebrew), or Geist (german)
social support reduces the negative impact of aspect of humanness (Smith, 1988).
stress on job performance. AbuAlRub, Omari, Spirituality and science seem to be contra-
and AbuAlRub (2009) showed that social dictory notions as spirituality is inherently
support form supervisors moderated or buff- subjective and science seeks objective evi-
ered the stress–satisfaction relationship. dence. however, a health crisis often precip-
AbuAlRub (2004) found that social sup- itates a spiritual crisis, so nurses, especially
port did not buffer the relationship between those working with critically ill or termi-
job stress and job performance; that is, as nally ill people, are in a position to attend to
perceived job stress increased, nurses with spiritual as well as physical and emotional
high social support in the workplace did not needs. By viewing health as wholeness or
perform better than nurses with less support. integration of body, mind, and spirit, and
Fong (1990) examined the stress–support– healing as restoring the integrity of that
burnout relation among nursing faculty. The wholeness, spirituality then is an apt con-
results showed that (1) support from super- cept for nursing science. neuroscientists
visors and work peers was positively corre- have also established physiological connec-
lated with all dimensions of burnout, and (2) tions between spiritual practices, such as
support from supervisors and coworkers did prayer and meditation, and the brain and
not moderate or buffer the stress–burnout neurochemical processes (hagerty 2009,
relation; that is, as stress increased, the indi- newberg & newberg, 2005). The growth
viduals with high support did not experience of Faith Community nursing as a practice
less burnout than those with less support. specialty has also brought attention to spir-
Further research using different designs ituality as an important concept for nursing
and methodologies is needed to test the buff- knowledge development.
ering models of social support. On the basis Spirituality has been a component of
of the research studies that provide evidence the frameworks of several nursing philoso-
for the direct and buffering effects of social phies and theories as well as the focal point
support on the organizational outcomes such of middle-range theories. For example, Joyce
as job stress, job performance, job satisfac- Travelbee (1971), while not using the term
tion, and intention to stay at work, peer and “spirituality,” discusses suffering and finding
superior support programs are paramount meaning in the illness experience, concepts
to enhance the well-being and satisfaction of that are associated with spirituality. Finding
the staff and the quality of care they provide meaning and connectedness, two attri-
for patients. As nursing shortage has become butes of spirituality, are central to margaret