Spiritual care: an element in nursing care planning.

Nursing has recognized spirituality as an aspect of holistic patient care but little has been written on the understanding of this concept within the holistic approach. In a discussion of the issue, three basic questions are addressed. These questions include 'What is spirituality?', 'How do patients express their spirituality?', and 'How can spiritual care be incorporated into a plan of care?' Drawing upon nursing and health-related literature, an outline of the concept of spirituality is drawn and five broad areas of expression are described. The nursing process is used to demonstrate how spirituality can be incorporated into the patient's plan of care.