PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of an instrument that measures spiritual needs of families of terminal cancer patients. METHODS: This methodological study was processed as follows: 1) The preliminary 26 items were developed based a conceptual framework of spiritual needs of families of patients with cancer. 2) The content was validated by an expert panel (Three nursing professors and five hospice nursing specialists). 3) The instrument was validated by a survey (n=111). 4) Twenty-six items were selected and used for the final version of the scale. RESULTS: Three factors were extracted through factor analysis: ‘relationship with God/Acceptance of dying’, ‘recovery of relationship/hope and peace’, and ‘meaning and purpose of life’. These factors explained 61.088% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha and Guttman split-half coefficient of the 26 items were 0.944 and 0.826 respectively. CONCLUSION: This scale was identified as a valid and reliable tool. Therefore, the scale is useful in assessing spiritual needs of families of terminal cancer patients in the field of hospice and palliative care.
Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing ; Hospices ; Humans ; Methods ; Nursing ; Palliative Care ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Spirituality ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: With the implementation of the Act on Life Sustaining Treatment, hospice-palliative care will be extended to non-cancer diseases including the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, there are concerns about negative perceptions and prejudice toward AIDS patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related with willingness to volunteer (WV) for patients with end-stage AIDS among hospice volunteers. METHODS: Participants were 326 hospice volunteers from 19 institutions. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to investigate the participants' WV for end-stage AIDS patients, and the questions were answered using an 11-point rating scale. Demographics, volunteer activity, satisfaction with hospice volunteering, knowledge of AIDS, and attitudes towards AIDS patients (i.e., fear AIDS patients, negative attitude towards AIDS patients, personal stigmatization and stigmatizing attitude) were also investigated. A multiple regression analysis was performed to examine factors associated with WV for patients with end-stage AIDS. RESULTS: WV for patients with end-stage AIDS was 2.82 points lower than that for cancer patients (P < 0.001). The multiple regression analysis showed that the higher the level of satisfaction with hospice volunteering (P=0.002) and the lower the level of “personal stigmatization” (P < 0.001), participants showed greater WV for end-stage AIDS patients. CONCLUSION: The level of satisfaction with hospice volunteering and “personal stigmatization” were factors associated with participants' WV for patients with end-stage AIDS.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Delivery of Health Care ; Demography ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Prejudice ; Stereotyping ; Volunteers*