Evaluating the Prevalence of Nurse-led Spiritual Care and Coping Strategies among Cancer Patients at Asi-Ukpo Cancer Centre

Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa, where spirituality is deeply embedded in the lived experience of illness, nurse-led spiritual care holds particular relevance. Despite growing international evidence, site specific data from Nigerian oncology centres on its impact on patient coping remain scarce. Objective: To assess the prevalence of nurse-led spiritual care and faith based coping strategies of cancer patients at the Asi Ukpo Cancer Centre, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study of 73 cancer patients recruited by consecutive sampling. Data were collected using a structured self administered questionnaire and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2021 and IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. Descriptive statistics and univariable logistic regression were performed. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Mean age was 48.5 ± 13.5 years. Most respondents were female (65.3%), Christian (93.8%), and undergoing active treatment (84.1%), with breast cancer predominating (52.5%). Nurse led spiritual care was reported by 84.9%, most commonly through prayer (56.9%), encouragement of hope and meaning (52.3%), and listening to spiritual concerns (40.0%). Prayer or meditation was the most received (76.9%) and most preferred (75.8%) coping strategy. A total of 91.1% agreed spiritual care helped them cope better and 92.4% reported improved psychological wellbeing. Ninety percent recommended formal integration into nursing practice. Disease stage significantly predicted preference for prayer based support, with advanced stage patients more likely to prefer prayer (OR = 4.67; 95% CI: 1.34–16.24; p = 0.015). Age showed a borderline association (OR = 2.60; 95% CI: 0.93–7.29; p = 0.069). Gender and religion were not significant predictors. Conclusion: Nurse led spiritual care is highly prevalent and strongly valued at the Asi Ukpo Cancer Centre. Advanced stage patients were significantly more likely to prefer prayer based support, suggesting spiritual needs intensify with disease progression.