Spirituality, Stress, and Well-Being of Healthcare Professionals
A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Medics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: leadership; workplace spirituality; emotions in the workplace; socialization; nursing management; positive psychology; social psychology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The shortage of registered nurses constitutes a global challenge that has led to adverse medical conditions in many nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the current global nursing workforce to be 29 million, with a projected shortage of 4.5 million nurses and 0.31 million midwives by the year 2030 (WHO, 2024). This anticipated shortage poses a significant obstacle for healthcare systems, as nurses are essential for delivering healthcare and promoting health equity. Furthermore, healthcare professionals consistently face challenging occupational conditions, including prolonged work schedules; duties during nighttime, weekends, and public holidays; indirect trauma; elevated occupational stress; insufficient time for rest; exposure to infections; and interactions with difficult patients. These job characteristics adversely affect the well-being of healthcare professionals, including their mental health and sleep patterns.
Given this context, researchers suggest that spirituality in the workplace can help mitigate the negative effects of the nursing profession. Indeed, a growing body of research suggests that spirituality may be particularly significant within the nursing profession. Many healthcare professionals seek meaning, purpose, and community in their work environment to satisfy their psychological needs, thereby fostering a stronger internal motivation to pursue personal spiritual fulfillment. This connection is partly due to the historical link between nursing and spirituality, as evidenced by ethical standards and social values. Nurses with a greater inclination toward spirituality are likely to find their profession more aligned with their psychological needs. Consequently, it is reasonable to propose that spirituality in the workplace will foster a strong sense of professional calling and job fulfillment among healthcare professionals.
The aim of this Special Issue is to extend the existing research on workplace spirituality within the healthcare context. Additionally, we seek to highlight the best practices that can assist healthcare organizational leaders and professionals in adopting the most effective coping strategies to mitigate workplace stressors and enhance the well-being of healthcare professionals.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following within the healthcare work context:
- Spiritual leadership;
- Workplace spirituality;
- Second victim syndrome of healthcare professionals;
- Coping strategies;
- Job stress;
- Workplace mistreatment and violence;
- Well-being of healthcare professionals.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Wenchi Zou
Dr. Po-Chien Chang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- spiritual leadership
- workplace spirituality
- second victim syndrome
- resilience
- coping
- calling
- well-being
- mental health
- burnout
- mistreatment and violence
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
