This is a cross-sectional survey to explore the effect of spiritual well-being and spiritual care competence on performing of spiritual nursing by nurses caring for cancer patients.

The participants were 214 nurses with experience of caring for cancer patients for more than one year. The data were collected by an online survey using the spiritual well-being scale, spiritual care competence scale, and spiritual nursing scale.

The factors influencing the performing of spiritual nursing were communication (β=0.36, p<.001), satisfaction from spiritual nursing (β=0.21, p=.001), importance of religion (β=0.18, p=.013), existential well-being (β=0.18, p=.010), and knowledge acquisition of spiritual nursing (β=0.14, p=.033). The explanatory power of these variables on performing of spiritual nursing was 41.1%. When spiritual nursing was not carried out, 42.6% of nurses felt sorry and pitiful towards the patient; and 46.4% pointed out the difficulties in working environment that posed an obstacle.

We should develop an integrated program on spiritual nursing improvement, focusing on these key factors, to enhance the performance of spiritual nursing for cancer patients and to verify its effectiveness.