Spirituality among Iranian nursing students during undergraduate study

Background Nursing students are expected to deliver holistic care in their upcoming career. Developing spirituality during nursing training is poorly understood. Objectives The current study aimed to explore the process of developing spirituality among Iranian nursing undergraduates. Patients and Methods The study employed Grounded theory approach and purposive sampling with maximum variation to select the participants among undergraduate nursing students in their fourth-year of study in the nursing school of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data were gathered through semi structured interviews with nineteen nursing students and one faculty member (n = 20). Strauss and Corbin approach was selected for data analysis. Results Data analysis revealed that developing spirituality during nursing education is an intuitive development including three stages: early frustration, intuitive development through hardship and seeking meaning and fulfilment. This process is influenced by educational/caring environment as well as role models. Conclusions Upbringing capable nurses to deliver spiritual care require supportive environment and influential role models to encourage students’ spiritual development. Developing spiritually may end in delivering spiritual care and provide nursing students with inner strength for better confrontation with serious situations common in their upcoming career