How does spirituality impact on student nurses’ experience of resilience at one UK university? A descriptive phenomenological study

This descriptive phenomenological study aimed to explore student nurses’ concept and experiences of spirituality in relation to resilience. Existing literature was minimal in this area, it mainly concerned the United States and none studied student nurses in the UK. This was significant, as people from different cultures may experience phenomena such as spirituality differently. A purposive sample of 6 student nurses completed semi-structured interviews via Microsoft Teams due to the restrictions imposed by UK government in Covid-19 pandemic.

Spiritual factors which participants perceived impacted on their resilience included inner peace and harmony, life purpose, moral and ethical living, connection to others and the environment, belonging and community support. The results suggest that there may be a breadth of beliefs and spiritual practice in UK student nurses which impact generally positively on their resilience and mental health.