Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Users of dietetic services have unmet spiritual needs, although no study has yet explored dietitians\' opinion, perceptions or experience of assessing spiritual needs and delivering spiritual care in clinical practice.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey assessed the role of UK dietitians in spiritual care.
RESULTS: Thirty-seven practicing dietitians, with experience ranging from newly qualified to over 21 years of practice, took part in the survey containing open and closed questions. Almost half (49%) of dietitians said they always conducted spiritual assessments and most (57%) said they sometimes made a referral for spiritual concerns. When spiritual issues arose, dietitians were highly likely to listen well (score 4.6 out of 5) and encourage service users in their own (the service user) spiritual or religious practices (score 4 out of 5). However, the likelihood of taking the initiative and enquiring about religious and spiritual issues was lower (score <3 out of 5) in all areas of practice including end of life care. This may have been because confidence around spiritual care was also low (score 4.7 out of 10), uncertainty was high (score >3.5 out of 5) and there was a strong desire to receive training (>4 out of 5). Qualitative responses expanded further on these results suggesting that there was positive \"intention\" to provide spiritual care, but lack of training was a significant barrier (qualitative theme: \"inadequacies\"). The recognition of necessity but uncertainty of how to meet spiritual needs was also shown through qualitative findings to be a source of \"emotional labour\", particularly where there were conflicting beliefs between a dietitian and service user.
CONCLUSIONS: Although limited by a small sample size, these results provide new knowledge that spiritual care is considered an important part of the dietitians\' role and that this is the case regardless of the dietitians own spiritual identity or religion. Dietitians would value training in spiritual care so that they can support service user needs more readily and confidently.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey assessed the role of UK dietitians in spiritual care.
RESULTS: Thirty-seven practicing dietitians, with experience ranging from newly qualified to over 21 years of practice, took part in the survey containing open and closed questions. Almost half (49%) of dietitians said they always conducted spiritual assessments and most (57%) said they sometimes made a referral for spiritual concerns. When spiritual issues arose, dietitians were highly likely to listen well (score 4.6 out of 5) and encourage service users in their own (the service user) spiritual or religious practices (score 4 out of 5). However, the likelihood of taking the initiative and enquiring about religious and spiritual issues was lower (score <3 out of 5) in all areas of practice including end of life care. This may have been because confidence around spiritual care was also low (score 4.7 out of 10), uncertainty was high (score >3.5 out of 5) and there was a strong desire to receive training (>4 out of 5). Qualitative responses expanded further on these results suggesting that there was positive \"intention\" to provide spiritual care, but lack of training was a significant barrier (qualitative theme: \"inadequacies\"). The recognition of necessity but uncertainty of how to meet spiritual needs was also shown through qualitative findings to be a source of \"emotional labour\", particularly where there were conflicting beliefs between a dietitian and service user.
CONCLUSIONS: Although limited by a small sample size, these results provide new knowledge that spiritual care is considered an important part of the dietitians\' role and that this is the case regardless of the dietitians own spiritual identity or religion. Dietitians would value training in spiritual care so that they can support service user needs more readily and confidently.
摘要：
背景：饮食服务的用户的精神需求未得到满足，虽然还没有研究探讨营养师的意见，在临床实践中评估精神需求和提供精神护理的感知或经验。
方法：一项横断面调查评估了英国营养师在精神护理中的作用。
结果：37位执业营养师，从新合格到超过21年的实践经验，参加了包含开放式和封闭式问题的调查。几乎一半（49％）的营养师说他们总是进行精神评估，大多数（57％）说他们有时会推荐精神问题。当精神问题出现时，营养师很可能听得很好（5分的4.6分），并鼓励服务用户在他们自己（服务用户）的精神或宗教实践（5分的4分）。然而,在包括临终关怀在内的所有实践领域，采取主动和询问宗教和精神问题的可能性较低(5分<3分)。这可能是因为人们对精神关怀的信心也很低（10分中有4.7分），不确定度很高(5分评分>3.5分),并且有强烈的接受训练的愿望(5分评分>4分).定性回答进一步扩大了这些结果，表明有积极的“意图”提供精神护理，但缺乏培训是一个重要的障碍(定性主题：“不足之处”)。通过定性发现，对必要性的认识但对如何满足精神需求的不确定性也被证明是“情感劳动”的来源，特别是在营养师和服务用户之间存在矛盾的情况下。
结论：尽管受样本量小的限制，这些结果提供了新的知识，即精神护理被认为是营养师角色的重要组成部分，无论营养师自己的精神身份或宗教如何，都是如此。营养师会重视精神护理方面的培训，以便他们可以更轻松，更自信地支持服务用户的需求。
方法：一项横断面调查评估了英国营养师在精神护理中的作用。
结果：37位执业营养师，从新合格到超过21年的实践经验，参加了包含开放式和封闭式问题的调查。几乎一半（49％）的营养师说他们总是进行精神评估，大多数（57％）说他们有时会推荐精神问题。当精神问题出现时，营养师很可能听得很好（5分的4.6分），并鼓励服务用户在他们自己（服务用户）的精神或宗教实践（5分的4分）。然而,在包括临终关怀在内的所有实践领域，采取主动和询问宗教和精神问题的可能性较低(5分<3分)。这可能是因为人们对精神关怀的信心也很低（10分中有4.7分），不确定度很高(5分评分>3.5分),并且有强烈的接受训练的愿望(5分评分>4分).定性回答进一步扩大了这些结果，表明有积极的“意图”提供精神护理，但缺乏培训是一个重要的障碍(定性主题：“不足之处”)。通过定性发现，对必要性的认识但对如何满足精神需求的不确定性也被证明是“情感劳动”的来源，特别是在营养师和服务用户之间存在矛盾的情况下。
结论：尽管受样本量小的限制，这些结果提供了新的知识，即精神护理被认为是营养师角色的重要组成部分，无论营养师自己的精神身份或宗教如何，都是如此。营养师会重视精神护理方面的培训，以便他们可以更轻松，更自信地支持服务用户的需求。
