Exploring the relationship between facilitating factors and adherence to nursing ethical standards

BACKGROUND

Professional ethics is a cornerstone of the nursing profession, with its observance closely linked to the enhancement of nursing services and the satisfaction of service recipients. This study aimed to assess nurses' compliance with professional ethical codes and its relationship with factors that facilitate such compliance.

METHODS

This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 in a hospital located in southern Iran. A total of 312 nurses were selected using the census method and participated in the study. Data were collected through researcher-designed questionnaires that assessed compliance with professional ethical codes and factors facilitating such compliance. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 23, employing t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

The mean scores for compliance with professional ethical codes and factors facilitating compliance were 127.94 ± 8.52 (out of 170) and 98.31 ± 6.22 (out of 180), respectively. Nurse-related factors (β = 0.323, p < 0.001), patient-related factors (β = 0.286, p = 0.002), and management factors (β = 0.277, p = 0.003) emerged as significant predictors of compliance with professional ethical codes. Significant differences in compliance scores were observed based on gender (p = 0.01), marital status (p = 0.02), level of education (p = 0.04), and the number of patients under observation per work shift (p = 0.03). Additionally, the mean score of factors facilitating compliance with ethical codes was higher among female nurses (p = 0.03) compared to male nurses.

CONCLUSION

Compliance with professional ethical codes was rated as acceptable, while the factors facilitating compliance were rated as moderate. Given the predictive role of facilitating factors, targeted improvements in these areas could significantly enhance nurses' adherence to professional ethical codes.

Professional values gained in postgraduate nursing education from the perspectives of master's and doctorate graduates: A mixed-methods study

AIM

To determine the professional values of graduates of master's and doctoral programs in nursing and their views on the contribution of postgraduate education to their professional values.

BACKGROUND

In postgraduate education, which is an important catalyst of professional identity development, a professional is expected to specialize in a field, get into more depth professionally, internalize professional values, and reflect and strengthen these values. To shed light on this expectation, more information is needed to assess the impact of postgraduate education on professional values.

METHODS

A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. Data were collected for the quantitative part of the study for 385 graduates of postgraduate nursing education programs in Turkey who were selected using the snowball sampling method, while the maximum variation sampling method was used to collect data from 12 individuals for the qualitative part of the study. The Nurses Professional Values Scale (NPVS) and a Semi-Structured Interview Form were used to collect data in October-December 2022. The quantitative data obtained in the study were analyzed using the SPSS software, and the qualitative data were analyzed using the MAXQDA software.

RESULTS

The mean total NPVS score of the participants was 130.32 ± 21.34 (possible range: 31-155). Among all dimensions, the highest mean score of the participants was in the caring dimension, followed by professionalism and activism. There were significant differences in the NPVS total and subscale scores of the participants based on their views on the contributions of age, institution where they worked, marital status, position at work, and postgraduate education to the acquisition of professional values. In the qualitative dimension of the study, two main themes were identified. One of these themes was the theme of professional values in postgraduate nursing education that covered the categories of professional values gained through postgraduate education, professional values that a nurse who has completed postgraduate education should have, and professional values in postgraduate nursing education. The second theme was the theme named recommendations for providing nurses with professional values through postgraduate education. The integration of data from both components indicated that the qualitative interviews enriched the quantitative findings.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that postgraduate nursing education programs contribute greatly to the professional values of graduates and strengthen their professional values.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

For the future of nursing, increasing professional strengths and visibility is significantly associated with professional values. This situation requires nurses with strong professional values. Graduate education programs in nursing should be developed in this direction and focus on development of professional values.

Nursing Students' Operating Room Experiences: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to analyze the findings of qualitative studies about nursing students' experiences with operating room (OR) practices. There is a need to conduct metasynthesis studies to highlight the overarching dimensions of nursing students' experiences in the OR learning environment, identify and summarize key elements, draw attention to the professional implications of the experience, and then help define the future research agenda. This original study is the first metasynthesis of qualitative studies focusing on nursing students' OR practice experiences.

DESIGN

A qualitative metasynthesis.

METHODS

This metasynthesis study was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and registered with PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews) (CRD42021252129). This metasynthesis consists of qualitative studies that included themes, were conducted with nursing students with OR experience, and were published in English between December 2000 and June 2022. Data were analyzed using the two-step metasynthesis procedures proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso.

FINDINGS

This metasynthesis study was carried out by analyzing 12 qualitative studies that met the inclusion criteria, reflected the results of a total of 244 nursing students, and were conducted in 7 different countries. As a result of the analysis of the studies, two main themes and seven subthemes were determined about the OR experiences of nursing students. The main themes of the study included (1) the OR environment and (2) professionalism and career choices.

CONCLUSIONS

The synthesis of studies in this research revealed nursing students' OR experiences and provided evidence about the association between these experiences and their professionalism and career goals. The research drew attention to the limitations and facilitators of the OR learning environment for nursing students and provided guidance for a positive interactive learning environment.

Nursing Students' Perception of Missed Perioperative Nursing Care: Hermeneutic Phenomenology

PURPOSE

Missed nursing care is a condition that is likely to be encountered frequently in the surgical care process and is generally related to the educational and emotional needs of the patients. Perception of and witnessing missed care can affect nursing images, expectations, and experiences by causing nursing students to experience professional disappointment. The purpose of the study was to explore nursing students' perception of perioperative missed nursing care (PMNC) according to "role theory" and Benner's "novice to expert" theories.

DESIGN

The study used a qualitative design based on Heidegger's hermeneutical phenomenological approach.

METHODS

Study data were collected using a semistructured interview form prepared by the researchers through face-to-face interviews lasting approximately 50 minutes. The analysis of the data was conducted using van Manen's thematic analysis. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used in reporting the study.

FINDINGS

This study, which was conducted to explore awareness of PMNC, consisted of 12 students, including five males and seven females. It was understood that nursing students noticed PMNC in clinical practice, experienced internal conflict about the issue, were concerned about the image of nursing, and experienced role and professional identity confusion. The themes of the study were formed in light of these experiences of nursing students. Three themes and 11 subthemes emerged in the study. The themes of the study were (1) perceived PMNC application-behavior patterns, (2) internal reflections of PMNC-its impact on professional identity development, and (3) perceptions of professionalism in perioperative nursing.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided important data about the awareness of PMNC in the surgical clinical practice of nursing students in Turkey and the effects of this awareness on the professional roles and professional identity process. Students were aware of the behavioral patterns of PMNC and that they experienced internal conflict, anxiety about the nursing image, role confusion, and professional identity confusion due to this awareness. Some students justified the PMNC behaviors of the nurses and others saw themselves as the power to change the PMNC behaviors.

Exploring a guide for codes of ethics for the development of ethical competence in Iranian nursing students: a systematic review and meta-synthesis

BACKGROUND

Improving the ethical competencies of nursing students, as an important dimension of professional competence, is a primary objective of nursing education. Thus, this study aimed to explore a guide for codes of ethics for the development of ethical competence among nursing students in the healthcare system of Iran.

METHODS

This is a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies conducted in the healthcare system of Iran. The review included studies published between January 1, 2000 and March 2024. We conducted a comprehensive search in various international and national databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Scopus, Barakatns, MagIran and SID. Initially, 86 qualitative studies were identified, and after a meticulous screening process, 39 studies were carefully reviewed. Finally, 10 qualitative studies were selected for analysis. The meta-synthesis employed an interpretive approach by thematic synthesis.

RESULTS

Based on our results, four main themes and 10 categories, along with summarized codes, were extracted as crucial elements of the codes of ethics for the professional competence of Iranian nursing students. The main themes identified were knowledge, standards, experiences, and attitudes (KSEA).

CONCLUSIONS

The concept of codes of ethics for developing professional competencies in Iranian nursing students was detected as a multidimensional concept with four major areas. By emphasizing the rights of clients and the standardization of nursing practice, this set of ethical codes can contribute to preventing clinical errors and legal issues at hospitals and educational settings. Furthermore, it fosters a positive environment that encourages professional behaviors among nursing students. Nursing students, as future nurses, should apply codes of ethics when facing emerging ethical challenges. Nurse educators have a crucial role in providing students with the necessary preparation and guidance during their professional socialization process in nursing schools.

Ethical Decision-Making Confidence and Professional Values Among Nurse Leaders

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to describe differences in nurse leaders' ethical decision-making confidence and their professional values based on identified characteristics and to explore the relationship between ethical decision making and professional values.

BACKGROUND

Nurse leaders have multiple duties and obligations toward their patients, other staff, and the organizations where they work. However, ethical decisions can be complex, requiring the guidance of professional values and critical appraisal of the situation.

METHODS

This study was conducted using a correlational design. Convenience sampling was used, resulting in a sample of 56 nurse leaders in various positions.

RESULT

Ethical decision making and professional values were found to be strongly correlated.

CONCLUSION

Ethical decision making and professional values are highly correlated in this sample. Understanding the importance of the effects of certain factors on ethical decision making can assist in forming an environment supportive of ethical practices for nurses.

Inhibitors and facilitators of compliance with professional ethics standards: nurses' perspective

INTRODUCTION

The clinical practices of nurses should be in accordance with the principles of professional ethics. Respecting professional ethics principles depends on several factors. The present study was conducted to investigate the effective inhibitors and facilitators in compliance with professional ethics and their importance from the nurses' perspective.

METHODS

During this cross-sectional descriptive study, 452 nurses were included by the census sampling method. The data were collected via the "inhibitors of compliance with professional ethics standards by the nurses' perspective" and "facilitators of compliance with professional ethics standards by the nurses' perspective" questionnaires. Additionally, by designing the "open-ended question" section, other inhibiting and facilitating factors of professional ethics standards from the nurses' perspective were investigated. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Wilcoxon signed ranks test).

RESULTS

The individual care-related dimension as a facilitator had the highest mean score compared to the other dimensions (76.62 ± 4.92). Furthermore, seven items in the inhibitor section, 19 items in the facilitator section had higher scores. Among them, there were seven items in common. Strong or weak belief in compliance with ethical issues had the highest mean scores in the role of facilitator and inhibitor (90.54 ± 12.13 and 89.54 ± 14.88, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Strong or weak belief in compliance with ethical issues was the most important inhibitor and facilitator from the nurses' perspective, which makes it necessary to examine individual beliefs about ethical issues among applicants to enter the nursing profession.

Barriers and facilitators to the formation of professional identity among nursing students: A four-year longitudinal qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Nursing professional identity (NPI) is essential for nurses to develop their nursing profession. It reflects the competencies consistent with the professional practices of nurses and contributes to them providing better healthcare and public health. The formation process of NPI started with undergraduate nursing education and continued throughout the nursing career.

OBJECTIVE

To explore nursing students' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to the formation of NPI during their study.

METHODS

A 4-year longitudinal, qualitative research design with yearly semi-structured interviews undertaken from 2019 to 2022. The reflexive thematic analysis methodology was applied for the data analysis.

RESULTS

Ninety-three nursing students were recruited, joining a group or individual interview. The four-year nursing baccalaureate program revealed a dynamic formation process of NPI: "Outsider of nursing", "Entering the nursing courses", "Building nursing competence", and "Thinking and acting like a nurse". A total of 12 themes were identified to present the barriers and facilitators to the NPI formation at different stages. Specifically, the six barriers include conflict between their ideals and reality, sociocultural stereotypes about nursing, the negative impact of COVID-19, the pre-internship concerns, struggling to meet expectations, and potential danger and discrimination in the healthcare settings. The enablers were: self-motivation and inner belief towards the nursing profession, the power of role models, the improvement of nursing capacity, well integration into the healthcare professional teams, understanding of the clinical environment, and recognition and encouragement from others.

CONCLUSIONS

The formation of nursing students' NPI is an ever-changing process, with various intrinsic and extrinsic influences during their four-year study. Nursing educators are suggested to prepare and develop students' professional comportment in their theoretical and clinical practice to develop their professional identity as a nurse.

Investigation of nursing students' emotional states toward challenging situations in clinical practice and metaphorical perceptions of the concept of a nurse

AIM

This study aims to determine nursing students' emotions toward the challenging situations they encounter in clinical practice and their metaphorical perceptions of the concept of a nurse.

BACKGROUND

Challenging situations in clinical practice negatively affect nursing students' perceptions of the nursing profession and their professional learning and development.

DESIGN

The study is based on quantitative, metaphorical and picture-drawing analysis.

METHODS

The quantitative and qualitative parts of it were conducted with 200 nursing students attending their first and second years in the 2021-2022 academic year. The Draw a Picture of a Cactus Test was carried out with 30 students in clinical practice. The data were collected using the "Sociodemographic Information Form" and the "Semi-structured Interview Form". Content analysis techniques, descriptive statistics, picture analysis and psychological tests were used to evaluate the data. The study was reported based on Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR).

RESULTS

Nursing students involved in the study produced 37 metaphors related to the "concept of a nurse" and three most expressed ones were "mother, lifeguard and helper." The metaphors produced by nursing students were categorized under six roles: "caregiver, educator, supporter, researcher, administrator and therapeutic/rehabilitator". The pictures drawn by the students about the challenging situations in clinical practice and the expressions they used were associated with self-centeredness (n=21), being attentive (n=19), aggression toward peers (n=13), low motivation (n=11) and need for protection (n=11). Nursing students experienced feelings of loneliness, passivity and anxiety when navigating difficult conditions in clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Metaphors and picture drawing allow a unique approach to the concept of nursing and nursing students' emotional states toward challenging situations in their clinical practice.

Effect of moral sensitivity on professional values of undergraduate nursing students: Mediating effect of empathic tendency

BACKGROUND

The development of professional values in nursing students is an important issue for the nursing profession. However, the research on nursing students' professional values and its related factors is very limited.

PURPOSE

This cross-sectional and correlational study aimed to examine the mediating effect of empathy between moral sensitivity and professional values.

METHODS

This study was conducted with 328 second, third and fourth-year students. The participants completed an online survey consisting of the student information form, Modified Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire for Student Nurses, Empathic Tendency Scale and Nursing Professional Values Scale.

RESULTS

The results showed that moral sensitivity affected undergraduate nursing students' professional values not only directly but also indirectly through empathic tendency.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the study show that moral sensitivity and empathic tendency support the acquisition of professional values in undergraduate nursing students. Nurse educators needs to realize that can be improved professional values by integrating moral sensitivity and empathic tendency in their curriculum.

"Untold and unexpected clinical practice stress," nursing students' experience of disgust: A phenomenological approach

BACKGROUND

In the clinical learning environment, nursing students often face situations that cause physical disgust. Previous studies have shown that more than half of the students experienced disgust, and that high disgust sensitivity in students was related to negative results in terms of academic and caring behavior.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to understand the experience of disgust felt by nursing students in a clinical learning environment.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using phenomenological method.

METHODS

In-depth, one-on-one interviews were conducted with 18 nursing students at a university in South Korea. The data obtained through the interviews were used to explore the essential structure and meaning of disgust using phenomenological analysis.

RESULTS

This study derived four categories, nine theme clusters, and twenty-one themes. The four categories were "fear that stimulates the senses," "untold and unexpected clinical practice stress," "ambivalence towards myself and patients," and "struggling to become a nursing professional."

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse educators must be aware that nursing students may feel disgust in clinical settings and are therefore under stress. They must also assist students so that their concerns caused by emotions that they cannot easily reveal do not affect their nursing careers.

Ethical challenges of death faced by nursing undergraduates in clinical practice: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The characteristics of nursing work determine that nursing practice is inseparable from ethical considerations and decision-making. Nursing students have difficulty in dealing with death and it is necessary to explore the ethical challenges faced by nursing undergraduates in the process of clinical practice of nursing dead or dying patients.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the ethical challenges faced by undergraduate nursing students in nursing of dead or dying patients.

DESIGN

This study was conducted with a phenomenological approach in a qualitative design.

SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS, METHODS

The purposive sample of the study consisted of 35 nursing undergraduates in their last year of education at the bachelor level in nursing who had experience of clinical practice. They voluntarily participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the Colaizzi analysis method.

RESULTS

Through analysis of interviews, four themes were identified: (1) Distant death is coming-inadequate preparation; (2) Making decisions between the needs of different positions-difficult balance; (3) Experience a patient's death up close-irresistible resistance; (4) Providing bereavement care after a patient's death-insurmountable obstacle.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that nursing undergraduates face ethical challenges in the process of caring for dead or dying patients and the early identification of these ethical challenges is of great significance. University and hospital leaders should pay attention to the ethic and death education of nursing undergraduates so as to help nursing students prepare for clinical practice.

Factors affecting nurses' professional values: A comprehensive integrative review

OBJECTIVES

Values should inform the care every nurse provides. Professional values equally affect patient care and organizational outcomes. In addition, they aid in forming a basis for moral judgments. The aim of this review is to elucidate the whole spectrum of factors affecting the development of nurses' professional values.

DESIGN

An integrative review approach was chosen.

DATA SOURCE

The review included searches in four databases - MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL Plus, ERIC, and Scopus - from January 2015 to November 2021, 572 articles were screened resulting in 35 quantitative and qualitative articles that met the inclusion criteria and passed the critical appraisal.

RESULT

Five major themes and subthemes emerged from the review: Individual determinants was the first theme. Education was the second theme. Experience was the third theme. The fourth theme was nurses' values perceptions. The final theme dealt with the impact of role models.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the power of nursing values as an effective influencer of nursing practice is important because nurses' values can ensure high-quality care and strengthen the professional brand.

Perceived barriers and motivators of undergraduate nursing students in end-of-life care: A qualitative study based on lived experiences

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to determine which barriers and motivators undergraduate nursing students perceived during their experience of providing end-of-life (EoL) care.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Qualitative phenomenological study leans on focus groups. The study was carried out with Zoom, a Web-based mobile video-conferencing application. Students were recruited from two universities in Turkey. Semistructured focus group interviews were conducted with 28 nursing students. The Heidegger phenomenological approach was adopted in this study.

FINDINGS

Three thematic categories and nine subcategories were determined. While the students stated that insufficient clinical experience, lack of knowledge, the inadequacy of communication techniques, and the insecurity of patients, relatives, and healthcare teams were barriers in EoL care, they stated they were motivated by witnessing the effect of nursing care on patients, integrating their theoretical knowledge into care, applying different communication techniques, and being positive role models of nurses in clinics.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

As students were not adequately prepared to cope with clinical practices in EoL care, the nursing core curriculum needs revision in this regard. Providing adequate theoretical and clinical training in EoL care will help nursing students manage their emotions and provide high-quality care to patients and their families.

Prediction of ethical decision making with professional values in senior nursing students

PURPOSE

This study investigated whether the professional values of nursing students can predict their ethical decision-making levels.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The study used a descriptive and cross-sectional research design. The study sample consisted of 130 senior nursing students. The data were collected from the Student Information Form, Nursing Professional Values Scale, and Nursing Dilemma Test (NDT). The data were evaluated using Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.

FINDINGS

A significant correlation was found between students' professional values and their mean PLT total scores (p < 0.01). Also, a negative correlation was found between students' professional values and the total mean practical thinking scores (p < 0.01). Professional values of the students explained 21.2% of the total PLT score and 0.08% of the total practical thinking score.

CONCLUSION

The professional values of the students affect their principal and practical thinking skills in ethical dilemmas.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

It is recommended to discuss the ethical dilemmas observed or experienced by the students in their clinical practice in the field, increase the awareness of the students, and teach them how to deal with ethical dilemmas.

Professional values and perception of knowledge regarding professional ethics in physical therapy students: A STROBE compliant cross-sectional study

Undergraduate students start the acquisition of a professional identity, and begin to achieve professional values and consciousness of an ethical behavior as future health professionals. The aim of this study was describe professional values and perception of knowledge regarding professional ethics of physical therapy students. A cross-sectional study was performed. A total of 351 students participated in the study. Professional values and perception of knowledge regarding professional ethics were assessed. Ethical approval was obtained from the University Ethics Review Board. The most important value was equity, while the least one was abnegation. The second educational year showed higher scores in importance of scientific quality (P = .010 vs first year), the third year in respect for life (P = .041 vs first year, respectively), and the fourth year in respect to patient's autonomy (P = .033 vs first year). First-year students showed lower scores in perception of knowledge regarding professional ethics (P < .001 vs second, third, and fourth year), while second-year students had higher scores (P < .001 vs first and third; P = .006 vs fourth year) and no differences between third- and fourth-year students were found. Those professional values highly considered by the students were mainly shared professional values, with equity ranked highest and abnegation lowest. Furthermore, second-year students had a well-established perception of knowledge regarding professional ethics, showing significant higher scores when compared to the rest of the educational years. This is the first cross-sectional study that describes these variables among physical therapy students and it is a starting point for future. Physical therapy educators might want to take into account these findings when teaching and guiding students in developing awareness for their professional values and perception of knowledge regarding professional ethics.

Nursing students' experience of incivility behaviours and its correlation with their nursing professional values: A cross-sectional descriptive study

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between experienced incivility behaviours and professional values in the clinical setting and also the factors influencing incivility and professional values.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional descriptive study.

METHODS

Data gathering tools used in the study includes demographic characteristics, incivility behaviour and nursing professional values. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 21.

RESULTS

The findings showed that incivility behaviours had a statistically significant negative correlation with professional values (r = -.150, p = .003), so that the level of incivility behaviours experienced by students was low (1.76 out of 5). This was while the level of professional values was moderate to high among students (3.72 out of 5). Due to the negative and statistically significant correlation between incivility behaviours experienced by students and nursing professional values, it is necessary that the officials of teaching hospitals inform nurses about incivility behaviours. Considering the negative and statistically significant correlation, it can be concluded that the reduction in nurses' incivility behaviours as patterns of the nursing profession causes nursing students to better acquire and internalize nursing professional values in the clinical setting. Nurse educators should also try to communicate with nursing administrators to exchange information about nurses' civil and incivility behaviours perceived by students.

Factors affecting the formation of nurses' moral sensitivity in cardiopulmonary resuscitation settings: A qualitative study

Background: Certain factors may facilitate or inhibit the formation of moral sensitivity in nurses performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The identification of these factors in the context can help develop strategies to promote nurses' moral sensitivity and offer new insights into the consequences of their moral decisions.Objective: Taking into account the possibly multi-factorial nature of moral sensitivity, this study aimed to identify the factors affecting the formation of nurses' moral sensitivity in CPR settings.Research design and methods: This study performed a conventional qualitative content analysis. Twenty-one participants were selected via purposive and theoretical sampling. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and simultaneously analyzed via content analysis.Participants and research context: In total, twenty-one participants (fourteen clinical care nurses, three head nurses, two educational supervisors, and two faculty members) from different cities of Iran were interviewed.Ethical considerations: The research was approved by the Ethics Committee of Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Iran (IR.UMSU.REC.1399.337).Findings: Four categories (underlying factors, professional factors, organizational inhibitors of ethics, and professional limitations) and 13 sub-categories were extracted.Discussion: The formation of moral sensitivity requires a range of ethical standards and their maintenance, not only at the individual level but also at the profession, organization, and community levels. So eliminating inhibitors of ethics in these contexts can improve nurse's ethical performance in CPR settings.Conclusion: Any measures taken or decisions made by nurses in CPR are driven by numerous ethical issues to which nurses must be morally sensitive. Some factors facilitate and some inhibit the formation of moral sensitivity in nurses.

Professional values and ethical sensitivities of student nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Professional values in nursing are the foundation of ethical practice affecting patient care quality.

AIM

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the development of professional values and ethical sensitivities among new nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A prospective observational study with a pre-test and post-test design was used. The sample constituted students (n = 302). The Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised and Modified Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire for Student Nurses were used for collecting data.

RESULTS

Professional values post-test mean scores of participants were significantly higher than the pre-test scores (p < 0.001). No significant difference was determined between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of ethical sensitivity (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The current study concluded that the professional values of newly graduated nurses developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was no change in ethical sensitivities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

This study provides one of the first pieces of evidence for nursing educators and managers to assess the professional values and ethical sensitivities of newly qualified nurses who may have been affected both during and after the outbreak. Newly qualified nurses should are valued members of the health care institutions, and orientation programmes should be implemented to improve their perceptions of the profession.

Nursing students' individual values, inclination to ethical and professional values

PURPOSE

To determine the relationship between nursing students' individual values, inclination to ethical and professional nursing values.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 315 nursing students in Turkey. Data were collected using the student information form, the Portrait Values Scale, the Inclination to Ethical Values Scale, and Nursing Professional Values Scale.

FINDINGS

The students' basic values are Tradition and Universalism. It was determined that an inclination toward ethical and professional values was quite high.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The fact that nursing students are aware of their individual values how these values affect behaviour can be a guide to human focused values in professional lifes.

Examining the views of operating room nurses and physicians on the relationship between professional values and professional communication

Purpose

Professional communication and professional values are two basic concepts in operating rooms and should be studied more closely in view of the nature of work and the high circulation of patients in operating rooms.

Methods

The present work is a descriptive-analytic study with a cross-sectional design. The sample was 603 operating room physicians and personnel selected from the public hospitals of Shiraz. The data collection instruments were the 41-item professional communication questionnaire and the 26-item professional values scale.

Results

The results showed that the operating room nurses and physicians perceived the status of professional communication and professional values to be satisfactory. As for professional communication, the participants’ perception of the domains of mutual respect and trust (p ≤ 0.001), teamwork (p ≤ 0.001), ethical competence (p ≤ 0.017), and workplace conflicts (p ≤ 0.001) was significant. As for professional values, only the dimension of care (p ≤ 0.016) was perceived to be significant. Moreover, a significant positive relationship was found to exist between professional communication and professional values (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion

Considering the significance of the concept of professional communication and its connection with professional values, it is recommended that operating room personnel and physicians receive systematic education about professional communication and the harms of destructive attitudes as part of their academic education and afterwards.

Comparison of the early development of the professional values for nursing students in the traditional program and the second-degree program: a longitudinal study

Aim

This study aims to compare the early development of professional value between the students in the traditional programme (BSN) and those in the accelerated BSN (ABSN) programmes.

Design

A longitudinal design was conducted.

Methods

Data were collected from three schools of nursing during one academic year. A total of 117 BSN students and 101 ABSN students completed the survey of demographic information and the Nurses’ Professional Values Scale–Revised questionnaires. All data were analysed by IBM SPSS‐Statistics 22.

Results

Results showed that, in the beginning of the first professional nursing course, both students in the BSN and the ABSN programmes reported similar level of professional values. However, after one academic year, the changes in the professional value varied both between these two programmes and among the three different nursing schools. The increased professional value in school A represented the possibility for students to improve during their first‐year professional nursing programme. As educators, we should redesign our teaching strategies according to the different conditions of students in each programme.

Discovering dignity through experience: How nursing students discover the expression of dignity

Introduction:

Dignity is a core value in nursing. Nursing education shall prepare students for ethical professional practice and facilitate insight into the phenomenon of dignity and its significance. There is limited knowledge about how nursing students discover dignity in their education.

Research aim:

The aim of the study is to develop an understanding of how nursing students discover and acquire dignity.

Research design:

The study has a hermeneutic approach where qualitative interviews of nursing students were employed. The process of interpretation was inspired by text of Fleming, Gaidys and Robbs.

Participants and research context:

Nineteen nursing students agreed to be included in the study, representing six different campuses at three different educational institutions. All were in the final year of their study. The interviews took place at the educational institutions.

Ethical considerations:

The educational institutions facilitated recruitment of the students who signed voluntarily for participation and continuous informed consent. The study was approved by The Norwegian Center of Reporting Data (NSD). The research recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed.

Findings:

The nursing students discovered the expression and significance of dignity through experiences, gained through introspection and in interaction with others during the education.

Discussion:

The findings are discussed using Gadamer’s concept of experience and how experiences can create new insight. In particular, the students’ experiences with the inner ethical and external aesthetic dimension of dignity are discussed.

Conclusion:

The study shows that students discovered the inner ethical dignity through experiencing vulnerability, pride and shame. They discovered the external aesthetic dignity through incidents, where they experienced both to be confirmed and not to be confirmed, and through observation of good or bad role models. Crucial negative and positive experiences are important for discovering the expression and significance of dignity.

The development of nurses' foundational values

BACKGROUND

In the ever-changing and complex healthcare environment, nurses encounter challenging situations that may involve a clash between their personal and professional values resulting in a profound impact on their practice. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of literature on how nurses develop their personal-professional values.

AIM

The aim of this study was to understand how nurses develop their foundational values as the base for their value system.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed to collect multiple data sets, including face-to-face focus group and individual interviews, along with anecdote and reflective stories.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

Fifty-four nurses working across various nursing settings in Indonesia were recruited to participate.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Ethics approval was obtained from the Monash University Human Ethics Committee, project approval number 1553.

FINDINGS

Foundational values acquisition was achieved through family upbringing, professional nurse education and organisational/institutional values reinforcement. These values are framed through three reference points: religious lens, humanity perspective and professionalism. This framing results in a unique combination of personal-professional values that comprise nurses' values system. Values are transferred to other nurses either in a formal or informal way as part of one's professional responsibility and customary social interaction via telling and sharing in person or through social media.

DISCUSSION

Values and ethics are inherently interweaved during nursing practice. Ethical and moral values are part of professional training, but other values are often buried in a hidden curriculum, and attained and activated through interactions during nurses' training.

CONCLUSION

Developing a value system is a complex undertaking that involves basic social processes of attaining, enacting and socialising values. These processes encompass several intertwined entities such as the sources of values, the pool of foundational values, value perspectives and framings, initial value structures, and methods of value transference.

Learning compassionate care: Experiences of nursing students

Compassion is a core value of the nursing profession which enables nurses to empathize with and help alleviate patient suffering. Literature increasingly reports a lack of compassion in patient care by students and junior nurses; empirical knowledge regarding experiences of compassionate care among nursing students remains understudied. Student experiences in the clinical setting may influence their development of compassion competencies. This study explored the experiences of baccalaureate nursing students in gaining competencies to deliver compassionate care during their clinical practice year. A descriptive qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews was conducted. Thematic analysis was employed, generating six themes. The first three themes depict positive aspects of compassion development, including 'gaining patient acceptance,' 'motivation for professional growth,' and 'establishing an emotional bond with patients.' On the other hand, the other three themes capture the barriers to compassionate care, 'distrust,' 'fear of harm due to violence,' and 'heavy workload.' The positive and negative experiences shared by students indicate that hospital and nursing administrators need to foster a positive practice environment and nursing instructors should become role models to encourage compassionate care.

The effect of instructors' clinical experience on professional socialization from the perspective of nursing students: A phenomenological qualitative study

Nursing students spend efforts to be familiar with their professional roles and professional values and to understand professional behaviors, functions, and values correctly in clinical practices. First and second-year nursing students are in the early stages of professional socialization in clinical practice. In the third year, students start to reach a level at which they are aware of the professional behaviors of instructors in clinical practice in terms of professional socialization. This study aimed to determine how the effect of instructors on the professional socialization of students in clinical practice was perceived by the students. The study used a qualitative design based on Heidegger's hermeneutic phenomenological approach. First, the content of the questions in the interview form and the aim of the study were explained to the students, and then the interviews were conducted with 10 students who agreed to participate in face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using van Manen's thematic analysis and three themes and seven sub-themes were determined. The themes of the study were as follows: (1) It may make professional socialization easier or difficult (subthemes: "It is important to be aware of my presence"; "Unfair practices related to marks and threat with marks"), (2) Instructors' communication with nurses affects us (subthemes: "Positive atmosphere of care", "Acceptance in the clinic"), (3) I am aware of our instructors with clinical experience (subthemes: "Like someone in the clinic", "Role model with care behaviors", "Like carrying water in your palms"). In light of the results of this study, it has been understood that the clinical experience of the instructors is important. In addition, the importance of clinical experience in the employment of instructors has emerged.

“I Internalize Islamic Values”: Bachelor Nursing Students’ Perception and Experience of Professional Identity in Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Professional identity is the primary goal of nursing education institutions that shaped professional nurse’s identity. However, final-year bachelor nursing students’ perception and experience of professional identity remain limited to explore. AIM: This study aims to analyze final-year bachelor nursing students’ perception and experience toward professional identity in Indonesia. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study with a drawing exercise was conducted with a convenience sample of final-year bachelor nursing students to explore how they viewed the nursing profession. Thirteen nursing students were recruited from four academic hospitals of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Data were analyzed thematically using Colaizzi methods and NVivo 12 Plus. RESULTS: The analysis showed five themes identified, namely, “Islamic nurse is my identity,” “I follow Islamic sharia,” “I internalize Islamic values,” “I practice professional roles,” and “I obey professional regulation.” CONCLUSION: Nursing students perceived the identity of Islamic nurses into their identity. Developing a strong professional identity is essential for the students to enhance a sense of belonging and career choice in the nursing profession.

Student nurses' experience of learning about the right to food: Situated professional development within clinical placement

BACKGROUND

Human rights are an important part of nursing practice. Despite its importance for professional development and practice, few studies have focused on how to include a human rights perspective in nursing education. One area proven to be particularly challenging is the right to food for older people in nursing homes.

OBJECTIVE

The study's aim was to explore how nursing students experience learning about the right to food combining on-campus teaching with placement experience.

DESIGN

The study had an interpretative qualitative design with a constructivist epistemology.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-six first-year nursing students participated in four focus groups shortly after their clinical placement at a nursing home. Twenty-five students provided their written assignment done during their placement to the study. Data collection took place in 2018.

METHOD

A design-based research approach was used in the development of the course. A thematic approach was used to analyse these two data sources.

RESULTS

Findings regarding students' learning about the right to food centred on four themes: development of language about the right to food; coherence between campus and placement; experiencing situations where rights are at risk; and relations with others. Analyses of the assignments revealed that students seemed to be positioned along a continuum, between "student approach" and "activist approach".

CONCLUSION

Learning about food as a human right can promote students' awareness and accountability concerning their nutritional care for the residents. Combining human rights education with other learning theories focusing on practice and social relation can enhance students' professional development and commitment to social justice.

Construction of professional identity in nursing students: qualitative research from the historical-cultural perspective

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the process of professional identity construction in undergraduate nursing students during their education.

METHOD

qualitative research, anchored in the Historical-Cultural framework. Twenty-three undergraduate nursing students took part. Data were collected through individual interviews, with a semi-structured script. Thematic Analysis was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

the following four themes were obtained, "The subject in movement to become a nurse: from previous experiences to entering the courses"; "The nursing professor in the construction of the undergraduate's professional identity: a two-way mirror"; "Pedagogical relationship: instrument for constructing the student's professional identity" and "Historical-cultural conditions: space for the construction of the student's professional identity".

CONCLUSION

the construction of the students' professional identity is limited to the material conditions of existence, translating appropriation to the intrapsychic scope of elements that occur, first, in the inter-psychological space of interactions. Nursing professors can become a paradoxical mirror, with one face to be imitated and the other, which materializes meanings of a model not to be followed. This construction is also influenced by the conditions of professional practice and university education.

The Perceptions of Professional Values among Students at a Spanish Nursing School

(1) Background: This study aims to reflect student nurses' perceptions of professional values across the four training years. (2) Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study; data were collected using the Nurses' Professional Values Scale-Revised, adapted by Basurto-Hoyuelos. A total of 315 student nurses participated from a Nursing Faculty in Spain representing each of the four academic years. (3) Results: Students' perceptions of professional values were significantly correlated with their academic year. Overall, students' scores were higher in the ethics dimension. The two highest scores were for Maintain patient confidentiality for years 1 and 2 (4.77 and 4.68, respectively) and Safeguard patients' right to privacy for years 3 and 4 (4.95 and 4.98, respectively). Lower scores were observed in the professional expertise dimension across all years, and corresponded to a single item Participate in peer review (3.51, 3.38, 3.98, and 3.26, respectively). (4) Conclusions: This study is relevant as it highlights how nursing students' perceptions of professional values change overtime, even during the four years of their training. The ethics dimension was the most highly regarded across all academic years. However, the professional expertise dimension requires greater attention throughout the degree as students regarded it as less important for their immediate future.

Dignity: The Cornerstone of Nursing Care Among Hospitalized Mothers of Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

: One of the most important areas of nursing care delivery is "dignity." Because of the increase in hospitalized infants in neonatal intensive care units in recent years, this has led to an increased focus on "family care and maternal dignity." Given the importance of understanding the phenomenon of maternal dignity in order to improve cooperation in the care of their infants and promote family-centered care, this study aims to describe the lived experience of hospitalized mothers of infants within the context of dignity. This is a descriptive phenomenological qualitative research study. Twenty mothers were invited to participate in this study using purposeful sampling. The data were generated through individual, semistructured interviews and field notes were developed during the interviews. Data were analyzed using the Colaizzi method.Findings of the study were presented in 3 themes: "privacy," "respecting individual identity," and "authority," and 7 additional subthemes. Mothers in this study needed to take care of their infants in an environment where their personal privacy is preserved, their individual identity is respected, and they have sufficient authority in obtaining medical decisions. It is essential that healthcare teams and policy makers of health organizations provide an appropriate supportive environment in terms of promoting mothers' dignity in different dimensions and subsequently improving family-centered care.

Mediating effects of empathy on the association between nursing professional values and professional quality of life in Chinese female nurses: A cross-sectional survey

Aim

This study aimed to examine whether and to what extent, empathy mediates the association between nursing professional values and professional quality of life (ProQOL) in Chinese female nurses.

Design

Cross-sectional study design.

Methods

A convenience sample of 733 nurses from Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, was recruited. Each participant was invited to complete a self-administrated socio-demographic questionnaire, the Nursing Professional Values Scale, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy and the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and the bootstrap method were employed to analyse data using SPSS 23.0 software.

Results

The participants reported a medium level of ProQOL. Nursing professional values were positively associated with compassion satisfaction but negatively associated with burnout. Empathy mediated 9.2% and 57.1% of the total observed effect of nursing professional values on compassion satisfaction and burnout, respectively.

Professionalism experiences of undergraduate learner nurses during their 4-year training programme at a Higher Education Institution in the Western Cape, South Africa

Background

Professional socialisation of student nurses needs to be integrated into the formal teaching and learning during the nursing programme. Embedded in the training programme are professional values that are used synonymously with nursing professionalism. Professionalism is the conduct, qualities, values, vision, mission and/or goals that characterise a profession, and describes behaviours that are expected within the profession’s members. However, one’s values are shaped by one’s experiences, influence one’s behaviour and interactions with others, and are manifested in many aspects of professional behaviour. New nurses to the profession are expected to display behaviours of professionalism, thus requiring nurse training schools to help students internalise these behaviours. Nurse educators therefore carry a responsibility to shape future nurses’ growth towards professionalism.

Objectives

This article reports on the experiences of undergraduate student nurses regarding nursing professionalism during their 4-year training programme at a Higher Education Institution in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Method

A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive design was applied. Eight focus group discussions were conducted with first- to fourth-year student nurses registered for the undergraduate nursing programme. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using open coding. Ethical principles and trustworthiness were maintained throughout the study.

Results

Six main themes indicated that undergraduate student nurses experienced issues with role modelling, language barriers, their own understanding of professional behaviour, reasons for students and practitioners’ unprofessional behaviour, prejudice towards degree students and students’ professional or unprofessional behaviour experienced as contributing to the image of the profession.

Conclusion

Student nurses received mixed messages leading to emotional turbulence. They needed clear guidance from role models to demonstrate how to behave professionally.

Factors affecting professional ethics development in students: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Ethics development is one of the most important aspects of professional practice in health sciences students. Understanding factors affecting ethics development can enhance clinical and professional performance in students.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to explore students' perceptions about factors affecting professional ethics development.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This study is a conventional content analysis. Data were collected through 20 semi-structured interviews and two focus group interviews (12 students) during 2017-2018. Data were analyzed concurrently with data gathering, using the conventional content analysis approach of Graneheim and Lundman.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

In total, 8 students of nursing, 5 medical students, 4 students of anesthesia and 3 operating room students in individual interviews, and 12 students in two focus group interviews from one university in the south of Iran were selected through purposive sampling.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The research was approved by the Ethics Committee of one university in the south of Iran.

FINDINGS

The findings revealed two themes: personal and background factors. Personal factors consisted of the two categories of individual motivation and tendencies and interpersonal interactions. Background factors consisted of the two categories of role and function of teachers and environmental agents.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

According to the findings, both background and individual factors affect development of professional ethics in students. Understanding these factors along with reinforcement of educational planning in this field can improve healthcare services.

Male nursing students' perception of dignity in neonatal intensive care units

INTRODUCTION

Maintaining dignity is one of the most important human rights. However, maintaining and promoting the dignity of nursing students as an important caregiver group has scarcely been considered. Dignity can be viewed as an abstract concept particularly in relation to the perspective of male nursing student perspective. Therefore, more investigation is required to explore the male students' understanding of the concept of dignity.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to define and explain the concept of dignity among male nursing students in the neonatal intensive care unit.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This is a qualitative content analysis study. The data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. The data were analyzed by conventional content analysis method.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

Twenty male nursing students in public health centers in Iran were selected by targeted sampling to achieve data saturation between February 2017 and November 2017.

FINDINGS

The findings of this study were presented in three main themes, including "extensive support," "belief in ability," and "participation in decision making," and 7 sub-categories of data were extracted.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The study's protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and the ethical principles were followed throughout the study.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

According to the findings of the study, male nursing students required extensive support, and their academic and practical skills required to be respected; in addition, they should be involved in decision making, because in such an environment, the dignity of these students will be maintained and promoted. Therefore, it is suggested that a cultural, professional, and institutional background in which all components of the male nursing student's dignity are protected and emphasized should be provided.

Caregivers' perception of women's dignity in the delivery room: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

Dignified care is one of the moral responsibilities of professional caregivers. However, in many cases the dignity of hospitalized patients, especially women in the delivery room, is not maintained. Dignity is an abstract concept and there has been no previous research exploring the dignity of pregnant women in the delivery room in Iran.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study is to define and explain the concept of dignity for pregnant women in the delivery room from the perspectives of professional caregivers.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This is qualitative research. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured individual interviews. The conventional content analysis method was used to analyze the data. In qualitative content analysis, participant narrative is examined in-depth and sorted into categories and themes.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

Potential participants who met the entrance criteria for this study were approached between July 2016 and February 2017. In all, 20 professional caregivers working in the delivery room setting within Iranian general hospitals were invited to participate in the study. The sampling was done through targeted sampling until saturation was achieved.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The research ethics committee of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences has approved the study's protocol and all commonly recognized ethical principles were followed throughout the study.

FINDINGS

The findings of this study were presented in three main themes, including "privacy," "respecting patients' preferences," and "comprehensive attention" and eight categories.

DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSION

Women in the delivery room need to be taken care of in an environment where healthcare staff promote the preservation of dignity through maintaining privacy, by providing attentive care and through ensuring that patient preferences regarding care and treatment are respected. In such an environment, the dignity of these women would be maintained and desirable outcomes achieved.

Caregivers’ perception of dignity in teenagers with autism spectrum disorder

Introduction:

Maintaining dignity is one of patients is one of the main ethical responsibilities of caregivers. However, in many cases, the dignity of patients, especially autistic teenagers is not maintained. The extent to which dignity needs are met for this group within the Iranian care system is difficult to determine as dignity is an abstract concept, and there are few related research studies reported.

Objectives:

The objective of this study is to find out caregivers perspectives on dignity in teenagers with autistic spectrum disorder.

Research design:

This study uses a qualitative research design. The data were collected through individual, semi-structured interviews and field notes developed during the interviews. In order to analyze the data, qualitative conventional content analysis was used.

Participants and research context:

In all, 16 professional caregivers for autistic teenagers working in public hospitals were recruited based on a targeted sampling method to reach data saturation from February 2016 to July 2017.

Findings:

The findings of this study were presented in three main themes, “privacy,” “respecting individual identity,” and “comprehensive support,” and 11 categories.

Ethical consideration:

This study’s protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of medical universities located in Southeast of Iran and the required ethical principles were followed throughout.

Discussion and conclusion:

Based on the findings of this study from the perspective of caregivers, autistic teenagers need to be cared for and educated in a respectful environment where their privacy is maintained, their individual identities are respected, and they receive comprehensive familial, social, and financial support. These conditions would maintain the dignity of such teenagers and would result in appropriate behavioral outcomes. Therefore, it is suggested that a cultural, professional and institutional background in which all components of the autistic teenager’s dignity are protected and emphasized be provided.

Operating room nurses' perception of professional values

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH

Nurses' awareness of professional values and how those values affect their behaviors is an integral part of nursing care. There is a large body of research on nursing professional values, however, a careful survey of the available literature did not yield any studies investigating the status of professional values in operating rooms.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the perception of operating room nurses of university hospitals toward professional values.

RESEARCH PLAN

In this cross-sectional study, data were collected using Schank and Weis's Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS version 16.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

The 513 participants of the study consisted of operating room nurses and nurse anesthetists from six university hospitals.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

This study has been approved by the ethics committee of the university.

FINDINGS

The mean total professional values score of the operating room staff was found to be 100.84 ± 15.685, which indicates that the participants had a positive perception toward observance of nursing professional values in practice. The results showed that the participants considered the domains of justice and activism as, respectively, the most and the least important. The operating room staff's overall professional values scores were not found to correlate significantly with their ages, professional experience, university majors, or attendance at ethics workshops. However, a significant difference was found between the professional values scores of the female and male staff. The professional values scores of the operating room nurses and the nurse anesthetists were not significantly different (p value = 0.494).

CONCLUSION

Operating room staff's awareness of professional values is essential to providing care to patients based on professional principles. Accordingly, there is need for programs to raise operating room nurses' awareness of their professional duties and improve their professional performance.

Nurses', nursing students', and nursing instructors' perceptions of professional values: A comparative study

BACKGROUND

In order to prove their commitment to the nursing profession, nurses need to base their professional activities on certain acknowledged values. Although a large number of studies have addressed professional values in nursing, only a few studies are available on the identification and comparison of nurses', nursing students', and nursing instructors' understanding of such values.

OBJECTIVE

The study aims to compare nurses', nursing students', and nursing instructors' perception of nursing professional values.

RESEARCH DESIGN

In this descriptive-comparative study, data were collected using Weis and Schank's Nurses' Professional Values Scale-Revised. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (v 22).

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

A total of 299 nurses, 341 nursing students, and 100 nursing instructors from multisite, 20 different wards from 3 university hospitals and associated nursing schools located in the cities of Shiraz, Fasa, and Jahrom in Fars province, participated in 2016.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Institutional Review Board of the researchers' primary university has verified that the study complies with research ethics.

FINDINGS

The total mean scores of the nurses', nursing students', and nursing instructors' perception were found to be 4.23 (0.44), 3.92 (0.50), and 4.34 (0.35), respectively, in the domain of justice-this domain was the subjects' top priority-and 3.40 (0.56), 3.29 (0.49), and 3.55 (0.36), respectively, in the domain of activism-this domain was attached the least importance by the subjects. There were significant differences across the three groups' perception in all of the dimensions of professional values ( p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

The three study groups' overall mean scores fall within the range of relatively important or important. Several studies show the same results, but there are still controversies in this regard.

CONCLUSION

There is need for plans to increase nurses' awareness of certain professional duties and improve their professional performance in all areas alongside their care duties.

Ethical values in nurse education perceived by students and educators

BACKGROUND

Education is considered the first function and mission of the university, and observing educational ethics guarantees the health of the teaching-learning process in the university.

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore ethical values in nursing education from the perspective of Iranian nursing students and educators.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This qualitative study was conducted using the Thematic Content Analyses method. The data were collected from seven semi-structured individual interviews and three focus group discussions from July to November 2015. Participants and research context: The participants were faculty educators of nursing and nursing students in Tehran, capital of Iran, who were selected through purposive sampling. They were recruited gradually. Sampling was continued until data saturation when no new codes were extracted. Ethical committee: This study was conducted after obtaining the approval of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Ethics Committee, and informed consent were ensured before conducting the research. The principles of voluntariness, confidentiality, and anonymity were respected during the research process.

FINDINGS

Seven major themes emerged: human dignity, constructive human relations, educational justice, competency enhancement, excellence view, wisdom, and commitment and accountability.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicated that although many of the values, as universal values, were similar to those of other countries-which can be a reflection of the globalization process in the nursing profession and the presence of humanistic and spiritual approaches at the roots of the discipline, some differences could be found in the content of values due to factors such as the people's beliefs, culture, and religion. Iranian nursing students and educators revealed a unique and culture-based set of ethical values.