Introduction:
Trust is the foundation of effective nurse-patient communication. Patient trust in the nurse facilitates better acceptance of care interventions and accelerates the healing process. Religious orientation is one of the factors that effectively influences individuals' decision-making and worldview. Religious orientation encompasses individuals' internal beliefs and their inclination to engage in religious practices. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between patients' religious orientation and trust in nurses.
Methods & Materials:
This is a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted from December 2023 to March 2024 on 350 hospitalized patients in Imam Khomeini and Shariati hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences using convenience sampling method. Data collection was performed using demographic information questionnaire, patient trust in nurses scale, and religious orientation questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, percentage, and frequency) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficient) by SPSS software version 26. The significance level of the data was considered as P< 0.05.
Results:
The mean score of patients' trust in nurses was 15.69 ± 3.93 and the mean score of religious orientation was 53.98 ± 10.46. Based on the results of Pearson correlation coefficient, a significant positive correlation was observed between the score of patients' trust in nurses and their religious orientation (P< 0.05, r = 0.76).
Conclusion:
The findings of this study highlight the need for nurses to assess patients' religious values and beliefs. Patients with lower religious orientation have lower trust in nurses. Incorporating spiritual care into nursing interventions and enhancing patients' religious orientation can be effective strategies for improving trust in nurses.