Final answer:
The first step a nurse should take before conducting a spiritual assessment is to perform a self-assessment of her own spiritual beliefs to minimize bias and maintain professionalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first step a nurse should complete when preparing to conduct a spiritual assessment of a client is to perform a self-assessment of her own spiritual beliefs. This step is crucial to understand and mitigate any potential bias or discomfort the nurse might bring into the assessment, which could affect the therapeutic relationship and the quality of the data collected.
Additionally, ensuring privacy during the assessment and determining if the client would like any family members present are also important steps, though they can follow the nurse's self-reflection.