The importance of professional values from clinical nurses' perspective in hospitals of a medical university in Iran

Examination of ethical intelligence and cognitive flexibility of nurses and their role in predicting the level of patient privacy protection

INTRODUCTION

Possessing ethical intelligence and cognitive flexibility can play a significant role in the acceptable performance of nurses. Furthermore, respecting the privacy of patients should always be a primary ethical principle that nurses focus on. This study aimed to investigate the ethical intelligence and cognitive flexibility of nurses and their role in predicting the level of patients' privacy observance. Also, determining the overall status of patient privacy protection and its two domains, namely human dignity domain and maintaining personal privacy, were specific objectives of this study.

METHODS

This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2022. A sample of 340 nurses and 1067 patients from teaching hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in southern Iran were selected. Standard questionnaires of ethical intelligence and cognitive flexibility were used for nurses, and a privacy observance questionnaire was used for patients. Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression with the SPSS23 software.

RESULTS

The mean score of ethical intelligence and cognitive flexibility for nurses was 98.33 ± 18.06 (out of 200) and 74.56 ± 16.76 (out of 140), respectively. The mean score of patients' privacy observance was 79.74 ± 14.53 (out of 150). The results of multiple linear regression showed that the dimensions of perseverance and assertiveness towards rights (β = 0.540, p < 0.001), action based on principles, values, and beliefs (β = 0.454, p < 0.001), responsibility towards personal decisions (β = 0.410, p < 0.001), accepting responsibility for serving others (β = 0.393, p < 0.001), ability to forgive one's mistakes (β = 0.301, p = 0.001), ability to forgive others' mistakes (β = 0.287, p = 0.002), honesty (β = 0.275, p = 0.004), acknowledgment of mistakes and failures (β = 0.263, p = 0.005), commitment to promises (β = 0.242, p = 0.005), and interest in others (β = 0.237, p = 0.01) from the dimensions of ethical intelligence, as well as the dimensions of perceived control (β = 0.580, p < 0.001), perception of multiple solutions (β = 0.511, p < 0.001), and perception of justifications (β = 0.373, p < 0.001) from the dimensions of cognitive flexibility had a positive and significant effect on the level of patients' privacy observance.

CONCLUSION

Ethical intelligence and cognitive flexibility of nurses and the level of patient privacy protection were estimated to be at a moderate level. Also, the level of ethical intelligence and cognitive flexibility of nurses played a predictive role in the level of patients' privacy observance. It is suggested that hospital managers and policymakers enhance nurses' ethical intelligence and cognitive flexibility through educational, welfare, managerial, motivational, and job-related programs, thereby improving the status of patient privacy protection.

The relationship between nurses' professional values and ethical attitudes to pain

Background: Pain management is a fundamental human right for everyone who experiences it. The management of pain is an ethical obligation for all health professionals. Professional values have an important place in appropriate clinical decision-making. Research aim: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between nurses' ethical attitudes in pain management and their compliance with professional values. Research design: The study was conducted as a descriptive and correlational research. The study data were collected by online survey method using the Introductory Characteristics Form, Ethical Attitude Scale for Pain Management in Nursing, and Nurses Professional Values Scale - Revised. Participants and research context: The population of the study consisted of nurses working in tertiary treatment centers in a country. A total of 388 nurses participated in the study. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval was obtained from the University Ethics Committee. Consent was obtained from the nurses. Results: The mean total score of the Ethical Attitude Scale for Pain Management in Nursing was 98.96 ± 9.37, and the mean total score of the Nurses Professional Values Scale was 101.51 ± 15.20. The scores of the Ethical Attitude Scale for Pain Management in Nursing were positively and moderately correlated with the total scores of the Professional Values Scale. Compliance with professional values explained 41% of the total variance of ethical attitude for pain management. Conclusions: In this study, it was found that nurses' ethical attitudes for pain management and compliance with professional values were at a high level, compliance with professional values was associated with ethical attitudes for pain management, and ethical attitudes for pain management decreased with increasing working years. A nurse with high ethical sensitivity and compliance with professional values can easily recognize ethical problems, effectively manage the ethical decision-making process, and provide appropriate patient care.

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.

Why do nurses miss nursing care? A qualitative meta-synthesis

AIM

The aim of this qualitative meta-synthesis was to discover the factors impacting on missed nursing care of nurses through systematic thinking.

BACKGROUND

Although nurses are responsible for high-quality care, missed nursing care is common, endangering patient safety. Understanding of the causes related to missed nursing care could help nursing managers improve the quality of nursing care.

DESIGN

A qualitative meta-synthesis guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA).

METHODS

As a method designed to contribute to knowledge development, meta-synthesis allows for integration of qualitative study findings using thematic synthesis. Six databases were searched up to October 2021; nine studies met the inclusion and quality assessment criteria and meta-synthesis were conducted.

RESULTS

Three themes related to the causes why nurses missed nursing care were found. The themes included intrinsic resources (professional and ethical values, ambiguous nurse role, prioritization, education system, and knowledge), system structure (staff and resources shortage, heavy workload but limited time, and organizational management failure), and social environment (communication, working relationship and skill mix, and inappropriate ward layout).

CONCLUSION

The phenomenon of missed nursing care is a global tissue, with variations in its elements but also notable similarities. Meta-synthesis provides evidence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to missed nursing care.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Recognizing and understanding the causes of missed nursing care is essential for nursing managers to ensure patient safety and the provision of high-quality care.

Factors Associated with Nursing Professionalism: Insights from Tertiary Care Center in India

BACKGROUND

Professionalism among nurses plays a critical role in ensuring patient safety and quality care and involves delivering competent, safe, and ethical care while also working with clients, families, communities, and healthcare teams.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To assess the level of nursing professionalism and the factors affecting professionalism among nurses working at a tertiary care center in India.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2022 to March 2023 using a total enumeration sampling technique. Following institutional ethics committee approval, standardized tools were administered consisting of Nursing Professionalism Scale and socio-demographic, personal, and organizational characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 270 nurses participated, with a response rate of 93.7%. The mean age of the participants was 27.33 ± 2.75 years, with the majority being female (82.6%) and belonged to the age group of 23-27 years (59.6%). More than half of the nurses exhibited high professionalism (53%), with the highest and lowest median scores for professional responsibility (29.0) and valuing human beings (13.0) respectively. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that, compared with their counterparts, nurses with a graduate nursing qualification (AOR = 4.77, 95% CI = 1.16-19.68), up-to-date training (AOR = 4.13, 95% CI = 1.88-9.06), and adequate career opportunity (AOR = 33.91, 95% CI = 14.48-79.39) had significant associations with high nursing professionalism.

CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The majority of the nurses had high professionalism, particularly in the domains of professional responsibility and management. Hospitals and healthcare institutions can use these findings to develop policies and prioritize opportunities for nurses to attend conferences and workshops to enhance their professional values, ultimately leading to improved patient care outcomes.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Characteristics of a good nurse as perceived by nurses

BACKGROUND

Nursing is a humanitarian and social field that provides health services. It combines science and art and has a rich history. Despite fundamental changes in the provision of medical services and nursing education, the concept of "good nurse" is still unclear.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this article is to investigate the characteristics of a good nurse from the nurses' perspective.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD

A qualitative study was applied using conventional content analysis. The participants were 30 nurses that selected with purposive sampling method. Data were collected through unstructured interviews and simultaneously analyzed via the conventional content analysis approach of Graneheim and Lundman.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

FINDINGS

The study revealed that personal characteristics (Adherence to ethical and human principles, Physical health, Attractive appearance, and Ability to communicate properly); and professional characteristics (knowledge - clinical skill - nursing roles) are essential to being a good nurse.

CONCLUSION

Coming to know the distinctive features of a good nurse as perceived by nurses themselves creates an opportunity for nurses to rethink their profession and to reflect on the characteristics of the good nurse.

Health and social care workers' professional values: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Professional values create a basis for successful collaboration and person-centred care in integrated care and services. Little is known about how different health and social care workers assess their professional values.

RESEARCH AIM

To describe and compare professional value orientation among different health and social care workers in Finland.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A quantitative cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

We carried out an online survey of health and social care workers from 8 March to 31 May 2022, using the Finnish version of the Nurses' Professional Values Scale-3. The data were analysed using descriptive and advanced statistics.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Permission was received from all participating organizations and those who completed the survey provided informed consent.

RESULTS

A total of 1823 health and social care workers, representing seven professional groups and students, took part. The overall level of professional values among the participants was relatively high. Commitment to providing patients and clients with equal care was more important than engaging with society and professional responsibilities in the work environment. Professional values were strongest among professionals with higher educational degrees and training in professional ethics. The same was true for workers who received organizational support for ethical practice, were satisfied with their work and had shorter work experience.

DISCUSSION

Our results showed shared professional values among different health and social care workers and students. These results are meaningful for integrated care and services. At the same time, a clear need for strengthening engagement with society and professional responsibilities for developing work environments were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Health and social care workers and students need training in professional ethics and organizational support for ethical practice and work satisfaction to maintain their professional values at different stages of their career.

Relationships between depression, self-efficacy, and professional values among Chinese oncology nurses: a multicenter cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Many factors are related to oncology nurses' professional values. However, the evidence on the relevance of professional values among oncology nurses in China remains sparse. This study aims to investigate the relationship between depression, self-efficacy, and professional values among Chinese oncology nurses and analyze the mediating effect of self-efficacy on this association.

METHODS

It was a multicenter cross-sectional study designed with the STROBE guidelines. An anonymous online questionnaire recruited 2530 oncology nurses from 55 hospitals in six provinces of China between March and June 2021. Measures included self-designed sociodemographic and fully validated instruments. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to explore the associations between depression, self-efficacy, and professional values. Bootstrapping analysis by the PROCESS macro was used to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy.

RESULTS

The total scores of depression, self-efficacy, and professional values of Chinese oncology nurses were 52.75 ± 12.62, 28.39 ± 6.33, and 101.55 ± 20.43, respectively. About 55.2% of Chinese oncology nurses were depressed. Chinese oncology nurses' professional values were generally intermediate. Their professional values were negatively related to depression and positively correlated with self-efficacy, while depression was negatively related to self-efficacy. Moreover, self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between depression and professional values, accounting for 24.8% of the total effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Depression negatively predicts self-efficacy and professional values, and self-efficacy positively predicts professional values. Meanwhile, depression in Chinese oncology nurses has an indirect effect on their professional values through self-efficacy. Nursing managers and oncology nurses themselves should develop strategies aimed at relieving depression and improving self-efficacy to strengthen their positive professional values.

An Investigation of Surgical Nurses' Professional Values, Ethical Sensitivity and Quality of Care: A Cross-Sectional Study From Northwest Turkey

Nurses' professional values are closely associated with their ethical sensitivity and the quality of nursing care. The aim of this study was to determine surgical nurses' perceptions of their professional values, ethical sensitivities and quality of care, the relationship between these variables, and the factors influencing these. The sample of this cross-sectional, descriptive and relational study consisted of 231 nurses working in the surgical units of two university hospitals and a training and research hospital. The study revealed a statistically significant negative relationship between the nurses' professional values scale median score and the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire median score, and a positive significant relationship between the Nurses' Professional Values Scale median score and the Care Behaviors Scale median score. Having ethical problems in their professional lives increased the ethical sensitivity of nurses, while having a medical-vocational high school and vocational school of health services degree and participation in training/meetings about professional values and ethics increased the perception of the quality of nursing care. Awareness of professional values is crucial in providing quality nursing care that is in line with ethical principles; therefore, it is recommended that the continuity of surgical nurses' participation in training/meetings on professional values and ethics be ensured, that they be supported to become members of professional associations, and that supportive working environments be provided to improve the quality of nursing care.

"We are really starving for respect and support," the struggle of Iranian nurses in adhering to professional values: A qualitative study

AIMS

To investigate nurses' experiences of adhering to professional values in clinical settings.

DESIGN

A qualitative study with a conventional content analysis approach.

METHODS

This study was conducted from January 2021 to March 2022. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 nurses working in different wards of five public and private hospitals in West Azerbaijan of Iran. Data were analysed using the conventional content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman (Nurse education today, 24, 2004, 105) RESULTS: "Barriers to nurses' professional values" emerged as the main category of Iranian nurses' experiences in adhering to professional values. Three subcategories of barriers were revealed: "nurses' challenges," "professional suppressors" and "poor working conditions."

CONCLUSION

Barriers in clinical settings can overshadow nurses' professional performance and disrupt their adherence to professional values. Nursing managers must pay attention to nurses' challenges, their professional suppressors and poor working condition to help them promote their professional performance in clinical settings. Thus, nursing managers should not neglect the continuous education of nurses to assist them in increasing their clinical skills by holding practical and theoretical workshops. Improving the working conditions and clinical atmosphere by recruiting a capable workforce and applying psychological and financial support for nurses are essential to increase the quality of nursing care.

Patients' Perception of Quality Nursing Care and Services in Emergency Department in Jordan

Patients are the main users of every hospital service particularly the emergency department. Hence, patients' perception is one of the quality care measures. Thus, this study purposed to assess the patients' perception of quality nursing care and services in emergency department in Jordan. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was adopted on a sample of patients who attended the emergency department (N = 427). Findings demonstrated that most of the health sectors in Jordan had a high level of patients' perception of quality nursing care and related emergency department services (M = 3.93, SD = 0.72). Furthermore, the private sector had the highest mean score (M = 4.18, SD= 0.70), while the government sector had the lowest mean (M = 3.11, SD= 0.38). The level of perception had positive relationship with income (r = 0.097; p < 0.05) and qualifications (r p.b = 0.093; p < 0.05). The number of visits showed a significant negative correlation with patients' perception level (r = - 0.095; p < 0.05). Thus, there is a need for improving the quality of nursing care and services in the emergency department at hospitals by strengthening the policy and enhancing the nursing services supporting system. Establishing plans to develop the infrastructures, equipment, physical environment, sanitation, and facilities in the emergency department to meet the patients' needs to enhance the quality of care and services are needed.

Simulation Training Needs of Nurses for Nursing High-Risk Premature Infants: A Cross-Sectional Study

Opportunities fomr clinical training in the newborn nursery and neonatal intensive care units (NICU) are becoming insufficient and limited to observation-oriented training. Premature infants admitted to the NICU require specialized and highly sophisticated care. Therefore, this descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to understand nurses’ educational needs for establishing a high-risk premature infant nursing simulation training program. It used a descriptive cross-sectional design. We conducted a survey involving 99 newborn nursery and NICU nurses; data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired t-test, an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), a Borich needs analysis, and the locus for focus to confirm educational priorities. The scores indicating the importance of nursing high-risk premature infants were higher than those of performance. Results indicated that the highest educational need was in the “treatment and procedure” domain. After deriving the priority of educational needs using the Borich needs analysis and the locus for focus, “maintenance of various tubes” showed the highest priority. By identifying the training priorities for high-risk premature infants nursing using various analytical frameworks, an extended reality simulation program met nurses’ high-risk premature infant nursing educational needs. Training for high-risk premature infants treatment and procedures—maintaining various tubes—is highly demanded by nurses and should be prioritized.

How do ethically competent nurses behave in clinical nursing practice? A qualitative study

AIM

This study explored how ethically competent nurses behave in clinical nursing practice.

BACKGROUND

Nurses' ethical competency is crucial in nursing practice as it promotes patients' safety and quality of care.

METHODS

Using a purposive sampling technique, 20 clinical nurses in South Korea were interviewed via an online video platform. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis based on phenomenological approach.

RESULTS

The main theme found among the participating nurses' ethical competency was caring beyond egocentrism, with two subthemes: (1) patient-centred care based on compassion and (2) responsible behaviour based on nursing professionalism. Factors that enabled this included (1) reasonable work conditions, (2) interpersonal relationships, and (3) nurses' rich personal experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses' ethical competency depends on how far they can move away from their own egocentrism and act for their clients' benefit, wherein an appropriate workload and warm human relationships with one's colleagues are essential. Nurses should thus receive education on ethics and professionalism and participate in volunteer and leisure activities that cultivate their degree of empathy.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Nursing leaders and managers should understand nurses' ethical competency and its enabling factors to devise effective strategies to promote it.

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.

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.

Caring Ability and Professional Values of Polish Nursing Students-A Cross-Sectional Study

Caring ability and professional values developed and shaped during nursing university studies are often recognised as fundamental components of education and professional nursing attitudes. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between caring ability and professional values among nursing students and their correlation with selected sociodemographic variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 379 nursing students. During the research, the Polish versions of the Caring Ability Inventory and the Professional Values Scale were used. The overall result in the Professional Values Scale was 108.78 (SD = 16.17)-which is considered average, and in the Caring Ability Inventory 189.55 (SD = 18.77)-which is considered low. Age correlated negatively with the professional values of students in total and in the subscale "care"; in contrast, "gender", "place of residence" and "financial situation" did not show any correlation with the level of students' professional values and caring ability. The professional values and caring abilities of nursing students depended on the year and mode of study and the type of university. The results of the study revealed that the caring ability and professional values of nursing students undergo changes during their education.

Professional values and ethical sensitivities of nurses in COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Nurses are facing several ethical problems like the safety of the nurses, patients, co-workers, and families, allocation of scarce resources, and the changing nature of the relationships of nurses with patients and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. These have caused nurses to have feelings such as stigmatization, fear, anger, anxiety, uncertainty, work-related strain, and burnout. Identifying nurses' ethical sensitivities and professional values are highly important to ensure that nurses are placed in the right decision-making position. This descriptive correlational study was carried out to evaluate the professional values and ethical sensitivities of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A quantitative descriptive and correlational study was performed with 245 nurses in Turkey. The "personal information form," the "nurses professional values scale-revised (NPVS-R)," and the "moral sensitivity questionnaire (MSQ)" were employed for data collection.

RESULTS

The nurses' 52.7% reported facing an ethical dilemma. Also, 40.3% of the nurses who had an ethical dilemma during the pandemic failed to solve it. The mean NPVS-R scores of the nurses had statistically significant negative correlations with mean scores of the overall MSQ and its autonomy, benefit, integrative approach, and orientation subscales (p < .05). The nursing staff had high levels of professional values and moral sensitivities.

CONCLUSION

Professional value perceptions were enhanced, and moral sensitivities were improved. Age and professional experience were identified as factors that affected the professional value perceptions and moral sensitivities of the nurses. The results will form the basis for future studies and contribute to the resolution of ethical dilemmas experienced by nurses.

Professional values in nursing students in Jordan: baccalaureate nursing students’ perception

Objective

Baccalaureate degree curricula consist of several professional values required for nursing students, which are taught in many ways. This study aimed to explore the perception of baccalaureate Jordanian nursing students regarding professional values and to assess the relationship between students’ demographics and their perception of professional values.

Methods

The study design was a descriptive, cross-sectional correlational design. A convenience sample of 182 Jordanian undergraduate nursing students enrolled at one of the most prominent universities in Jordan who completed and submitted a self-administered Nurses’ Professional Values Scale (NPVS) was considered for this study.

Results

The NPVS total score ranged from 37 to 130, with a relatively high total score mean (99.68 with a mean of 3.83 out of 5). The highest score domain in NPVS was “Justice” with a mean of 3.97, while the lowest ranked domain was “Activism” with a mean of 3.69. The correlation coefficient showed no statistically significant correlation between age nor accumulative students’ average with a total score of Nurses Professional Values Scale-revised (NPVS-R) and its subdomains. The t test results showed that gender and type of students’ enrollment (regular vs. upgrading) did not affect the means of NPVS-R and its subdomains. But differences were found to be statistically significant between the means of first year students and fourth year students in the total score of NPVS-R.

Conclusions

Findings of the study alert nursing educators to pay more attention to the importance of promoting the values related to “activism” and “professionalism” among nursing students. Suggestions for enhancing the roles of peer supervision and providing peer review to colleagues would contribute to improving nursing students’ performance and raising self-awareness because when nursing educators pay more attention to the items of these domains, better future nursing professionals, leaders, and researchers can be gained. Also, understanding nursing students’ perceptions of the importance of professional values and the difficulties in its application would be vital to enlighten educators about the areas that need improvement.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Ethical Behavior for Thai Nurses Scale

Background

Ethical problems in the nursing profession are mostly found in the undesirable ethical behavior (EBE) of nurses. If there is no concern about these problems, it may negatively affect the quality of nursing care, patients’ safety, and trust in the nursing profession. In assessing nurses’ EBE, it is important to develop an instrument that reflects the actual EBE of nurses.

Objectives

To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Ethical Behavior for Thai Nurses Scale (EBTNS).

Methods

The construct definition, 5 sub-constructs, 43 items, and the hypothesized model were synthesized and generated from a comprehensive literature review and existing research instruments by using document analysis. The EBTNS was verified for content validity by 4 experts. Of the 43 items, 37 items were retained for psychometric testing. The construct validity was tested by using second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EBTNS was tested on 1500 professional nurses working at tertiary, secondary, and primary hospitals in 6 regions (the central, northern, northeast, eastern, western, and southern) of Thailand. Proportional quota sampling was applied to recruit participants.

Results

The hypothesized model fitted the empirical data. All 37 first-order indicators and 5 second-order sub-constructs showed significantly standardized factor loadings and effect sizes. The standardized factor loadings of 37 first-order indicators ranged from 0.58 to 0.89, and the construct reliabilities were moderate to substantial (R 2 = 0.34–0.79). The 5 second-order sub-constructs displayed the standardized effect sizes, ranging from 0.81 to 0.96, and accounted for 65%–96% of the total explained variance. In addition, the construct validity was supported by convergent validity and discriminant validity. It also satisfied Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 5 sub-constructs from 0.87 to 0.94, and a full scale was 0.97.

Conclusions

The psychometric properties of the EBTNS are acceptable. This instrument has the potential to be used for evaluating and monitoring to prevent ethical problems of Thai nurses.

Nurses’ professional values and organizational commitment

Objectives

Both professional values and organizational commitment are strongly affected by variations among individuals. Identifying personal differences and their effects on professional values and organizational commitment is crucial for every hospital setting. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine how differences in demographic characteristics are reflected in professional values and organizational commitment among nurses.

Methods

The study used a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design. Nursing professional values and organizational commitment scales were used to collect the data. The sample consisted of 412 staff nurses recruited through a convenience sampling technique.

Results

Nurses' professional values differed according to demographic factors such as experience, department, career choice and having taken an ethics course, whereas no differences associated with education or gender were observed. Nurses’ levels of commitment differed according to their experience, their religion and whether they had taken an ethics course.

Conclusion

Deeper knowledge regarding the factors affecting nurses’ values and commitment may contribute to redesigning clinical ethics education for nurses and the development of non-traditional retention plans.

A Study of How Moral Courage and Moral Sensitivity Correlate with Safe Care in Special Care Nursing

Background

Nursing is a caring profession, and nurses who have moral sensitivity and moral courage presumably can provide safe and better care for patients. This study aims at investigating how moral courage and moral sensitivity correlate with safe care in special care nursing.

Methods

This study is a descriptive work of research. The participants consisted of 524 nurses who were in practice in the ICU (intensive care unit), CCU (C\coronary care unit), post-CCU (postcoronary care unit), and dialysis of four hospitals located in the south of Iran selected via census sampling. Data were collected from April to September 2020 using the moral sensitivity questionnaire (MSQ), professional moral courage questionnaire (PMCQ), and the assessment of safe nursing care questionnaire (ASNCQ). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square, multiple regression analysis, and Pearson's correlation coefficient in SPSS v. 22.

Results

The mean ± SD of the nurses' age was 33.89 ± 6.91 years, and the mean ± SD of their work experience was 9.16 ± 4.67 years. The total mean score ± SD of the nurses' moral sensitivity was found to be 93.41 ± 2.68, the total mean score ± SD of their moral courage was found to be 96.38 ± 3.63, and the total mean score ± SD of their safe care scores was found to be 321.80 ± 9.76. The values of Pearson's correlation coefficients showed significant correlations between moral courage and safe care (r = 0.54, p < 0.001), moral sensitivity and safe care (r = 0.59, p < 0.001), and moral sensitivity and moral courage (r = 0.52, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

There is a positive correlation between moral sensitivity and moral courage. Both positively correlated with special care nursing. Accordingly, through effective planning, education, and giving their support, nurse administrators can promote the abovementioned ethical virtues in the nursing staff, thereby improving the quality of care.

Influence of empathy and professional values on ethical decision-making of emergency nurses: A cross sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Emergency nurses are likely to experience serious ethical dilemmas and conflicts because of the dangerous and unpredictable care situations. Nursing ethical decision-making ability is therefore a core competence. Empathy and professional values may be the important variables that influence ethical decision-making. However, for emergency nurses, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support presently. This study aimed to explore the influence of empathy and professional values on nursing ethical decision-making of emergency nurses.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 236 emergency nurses from 10 general hospitals in China were surveyed. Their ethical decision-making ability, empathy and professional values were measured using the Judgment About Nursing Decision scale, Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals, and Nursing Professional Values Scale-Revised, respectively. Additionally, their sociodemographic data were collected. Univariate analysis, Pearson analysis, and multiple linear regression were performed.

RESULTS

The mean ethical decision-making score of emergency nurses was 295.06 ± 26.49, which was medium level. Their average ethical choice score was higher than that of ethical action (P < 0.001). The multiple linear regression results showed that professional values (Standardized coefficients (β) = 0.295, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.618-1.618), empathy (β = 0.210, 95% CI: 0.620-1.613), job title (β = 0.253, 95% CI: 0.357-2.800) and number of forms of in-service training on ethical decision-making (β = 0.243, 95% CI: 0.254-3.942) were the independent factors significantly influencing the ethical decision-making ability. The multivariate linear regression model had an F statistic of 32.153 (P < 0.001) and an R² = 0.588.

CONCLUSIONS

Strengthening nurses' empathy and professional values can help nurses make ethical decisions. More clinical experience and in-service training on ethical decision-making can help emergency nurses better handle ethical dilemmas and conflicts.

Relationship between perceived organizational support and professional values of nurses: mediating effect of emotional labor

Objectives

Perceived organizational support was a benefit for the work performance of nurses, which may affect emotional labor and the development of professional values. This study aimed to explore the relationship between nurses’ perceived organizational support and professional values, and investigate the mediating role of emotional labor.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in 3 tertiary hospitals in Wuhan from October 2020 to January 2021. The data were collected by a questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, the Emotional Labor Scale for Nurses, the nurses’ Perceived Organizational Support Scale, and the Nursing Professional Values Scale (NPVS-R). A convenience sample of 1017 nurses responded to the questionnaire survey. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to test the relationship between variables. Predictor effects were tested using hierarchical multiple regressions. The structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the mediation effect of emotional labor on the pathway from perceived organizational support to professional values.

Results

A positive moderate correlation was observed between the perceived organizational support and emotional labor (r = 0.524, P < 0.01), and a positive strong correlation was observed between perceived organizational support and professional values (r = 0.609, P < 0.01). Emotional labor and perceived organizational support were positive predictors of professional values (B = 0.531, 95%CI = 0.414 ~ 0.649; B = 0.808, 95%CI = 0.715 ~ 0.901, respectively). The association between perceived organizational support and professional values was mediated by emotional labor.

Conclusions

Results showed that perceived organizational support was positively related to nurses’ emotional labor, which was in turn associated with high professional values. For nurses, improving organizational support and training nurses to engage in emotional labor through providing multiple support systems, establishing appropriate incentive mechanisms, and training nurses to regulate emotions can be effective ways to promote nurses’ professional values.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-022-00927-w.

The effects of an ethics laboratory program on moral sensitivity and professional values in nursing students: A randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Recently, moral sensitivity and professional values have become increasingly important in nursing education and have been tried to be improved.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects of an ethics laboratory program integrated with the fundamentals of nursing course on the moral sensitivity and professional values of nursing students.

DESIGN

The present study was designed as a randomized controlled study. The 8-week ethics laboratory program was applied to the students in the intervention group. In the ethics laboratory program, interactive education methods, such as ethical scenarios, case studies, roleplay, group discussions, project papers and watching movies, were applied. Control group received the standard fundamentals of nursing curriculum.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample size was determined using stratified block randomization method, and 100 nursing students were assigned to intervention (n = 50) and control group (n = 50).

RESULTS

There was no baseline difference between the groups. The moral sensitivity average of the students in the intervention (82.66 ± 12.57) was lower than the average of the control group (85.64 ± 16.83) after the ethics laboratory program; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p > .05). Similarly, there were no significant differences between the intervention (132.32 ± 16.83) and the control group (131.81 ± 20.55) regarding the average score of professional values. In the responsibility sub-dimension of professional values, there was a statistically significant increase in the intervention group (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the ethics laboratory program for nursing students is effective in promoting responsibility sub-dimension of professional values. However, there was no significant effect on students' moral sensitivity and other dimensions of professional values. Further refinements of interventional research in ethics education and measurement of learning outcomes should be developed.

An analysis of the effect of nurse managers' toxic leadership behaviours on nurses' perceptions of professional values: A cross-sectional survey

AIM

This study aimed to investigate whether or not the toxic leadership behaviours of nurse managers influence nurses' perceptions of professional values.

BACKGROUND

Professional values are among the factors that influence the development and the enhancement of the quality of health services. The professional development of nurses at work is particularly shaped by the guidance and counselling of nurse managers. Therefore, it is vitally important to determine the effects of nurse managers' toxic leadership behaviours on nurses' perception of professional values in terms of the development of professional values and the nursing image.

METHOD AND MATERIAL

This study was designed as a descriptive and correlational study and was conducted with 244 nurses working in a university hospital between 09.01.2020 and 12.03.2020. The study data were collected using a Personal Information Form (11 questions) designed by the researchers in line with the recent literature, the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) and the Toxic Leadership Scale. The study data were analysed with SPSS 25.0, and they were evaluated using frequency, percentage, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis H test, one-way ANOVA, the t-test for independent groups, the Cronbach alpha coefficient and Spearman correlation coefficient methods. The significance level was taken as p < 0.001, and p < 0.05 was used to interpret the study results.

RESULTS

The mean age of the nurses in the study was 31.79 ± 6.68 years. A statistically significant difference was found between the scores for the NPVS-R and their previous education about leadership (U:5.273, p < 0.05). A significant difference was also noted between the Toxic Leadership Scale scores and the educational status of the nurses (𝜒²  = 9.971, p < 0.001), whether or not they deliberately chose nursing as a profession (U:7.777, p < 0.05), whether or not they willingly served as a nurse (U:8.458, p < 0.001) and whether or not they willingly served in their current unit (U:8.475, p < 0.05). The total score and the subdimension scores of the Toxic Leadership Scale and NPVS-R Scale were not significantly correlated (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrated that nurses who deliberately chose nursing as a career option, who willingly served as a nurse and who willingly served in their current units were comparatively less influenced by the managers with toxic leadership attitudes. It was similarly determined that nurses with higher levels of education and those who received in-service training were less influenced by toxic managers. It was finally noted that working with toxic managers had no significant effect on the nurses' perception of professional values.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The results indicated that although toxic leadership and nurses' perception of professional values were not significantly correlated, toxic behaviours may cause a depreciation in nurses' perception of professional values and beliefs, as noted in other relevant studies. It is thus necessary to be aware of the effects of toxic leadership behaviours on nurses and the institution and that precautions be taken by management against any negative effects. Supporting nurses with in-service training and building up resistance against toxic leadership behaviours will be beneficial for the proper and effective functioning of the institution.

Determining the relationship between magnet properties of hospitals and the professional values of the nurses: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To identify the relationship between the characteristics of hospitals in recruiting and retaining nurses (magnet properties) and nurses' professional values.

BACKGROUND

In Turkey, there is a limited number of hospitals with the characteristics to enable nurses to stay in their institutions. The magnet properties of these hospitals and the professional values of the nurses working in these hospitals are not known.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional research included 612 nurses working in 6 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International. Data were collected using the Nursing Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) and the Essentials of Magnetism Scale (EOM II).

RESULTS

The mean NPVS-R score was high 102.0 (26-130). However, the mean EOM II score was found to be low at 2.2 (1.0-3.4). As the magnet properties of the hospitals increased, the professional values of the nurses decreased.

CONCLUSION

There was a negative correlation between the magnet properties of hospitals and the professional values of the nurses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The findings of this study highlight the necessity of creating a working environment with high magnet characteristics, which also includes the professional values of nurses. Nurse Managers should investigate the reasons behind the low magnet properties of hospitals, raise awareness, and plan interventions to increase magnet properties of hospitals. Creating a supportive working environment, promotion of the salaries and work environment and decreasing workload are some of the important intervention areas in attracting and keeping nurses in the institution.

Whole-Person Development of Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Multi-University Study

AIM

This study examines how nursing students in Saudi Arabia view their holistic development during university study and the association between their perceptions and academic performance.

BACKGROUND

Holistic nursing education fosters broad development and emphasizes students' cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual potentials.

METHOD

This descriptive and correlational study utilizes the Whole Person Development Inventory to collect data from 998 student nurses enrolled in six governmental universities in Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

The professional dimension recorded the highest mean, followed by the intellectual, spiritual, physical, and psychological dimensions. The social dimension received the lowest overall mean. Intellectual, psychological, social, and spiritual development has an association with high academic performance.

CONCLUSION

This study encourages policymakers and various stakeholders concerned with nursing education in the country and worldwide to be intentional and systematic in adapting the whole-person development approach in nursing education.

The Relationship Between Nurses' Professional Values and Their Attitudes Towards Care Giving Roles: A Structural Equation Model

Objective: The study was carried out to examine the relationship between nurses' professional values and caregiver roles. Methods: This study is based on a descriptive correlational research design using a structural equation model. 366 nurses participated in the study. It was gathered using Nurse Promotion Form the Professional Values Scale of Nurses and the Attitude Scale for Their Caregiver Roles. Results: The total mean score of the Nurses' Professional Values Scale was determined as 94.73±17.87. Nurses' Perceptions of Caregiving Roles Attitude Scale total score mean was determined as 62.41±9.22. According to the Structural Equation model, professional values of nurses explain 39% of the change in the value of the attitude towards caregiver roles (R2 =0.39). Conclusion: Nurses' professional values and attitudes towards caregiver roles are at a good level and professional values of nurses partially affect the attitude towards caregiver roles.

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.

The relationship between moral sensitivity and professional values and ethical decision-making in nursing students

BACKGROUND

More researchers have paid attention to the ethical decision-making in nursing worldwidely due to the increasing complexity of ethical issues and dilemmas. Ethical decision-making ability is regarded as one of the core competences of nursing practice and has the potential to resolve ethical issues. It is important to identify the key variables related to ethical decision-making and understand their relationship between them respectively. It is also helpful to design interventions to promote nursing students' ability to resolve ethical dilemmas.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the relationship between moral sensitivity, professional values and ethical decision-making respectively, and to explore whether professional values have mediating effect on the relationship between moral sensitivity and ethical decision-making among nursing undergraduates in Chinese nursing education context.

DESIGN

This study is a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design.

METHODS

263 nursing undergraduates from Nursing and Health School, Zhengzhou University in Henan province of China participated in the study and received the investigation. Their ethical decision-making, moral sensitivity and professional values were measured through the following three questionnaires, including the Judgement About Nursing Decision (JAND), Chinese Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised Version (MSQ-R-CV) and Chinese Nurses' Professional Values Scale-Revised Version (NPVS-R-CV). The data were processed and analysed by SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 24.0. The statistical methods included descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analyses and structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Moral sensitivity is positively correlated with ethical decision-making (P < 0.01). Professional values is positively correlated with ethical decision-making (P < 0.01) and also has a mediating effect on the relationship between moral sensitivity and ethical decision-making (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The investigation contributes to a broader understanding of the factors that influence nursing students' ethical decision-making. Developing ethics education around nursing students' professional values and moral sensitivity can improve their ethical decision-making ability.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Nurses Professional Values Scale-3: Indonesian Version

The Nurses Professional Values Scale-3 (NPVS-3) is an important instrument for measuring the development and sustainability of professional values in nurses and nursing students. The translation, adaptation, and validation on this scale, including in Indonesia, is still very limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the Indonesian version of NPVS-3. This study used forward and backward translation methods and a cluster random sampling of 600 nurses participated. The 28-item scale of NPVS3-I was tested using EFA, applying the principal axis factoring extraction method and varimax with Kaiser normalization rotation method. The CFA used SEM with AMOS. Findings suggested sufficient content validity, construct validity, and reliability of the Indonesian version of NPVS-3. The I-CVI values ranged between 0.80 to 1.00 and the S-CVI was 0.99. Construct validity was supported with loading factors ranging from 0.49 to 0.84 for three factors (Caring, Activism, and Professionalism). The CFA goodness-of-fit indices were X2 (df) = 1516.95 (347), p < 0.001, normed chi-square (X2/df) = 4.37, RMSEA = 0.106, SRMR = 0.079, and CFI = 0.735. The Indonesian version of the NPVS3 showed good internal consistency with Cronbach's alphas for the instrument of 0.97 and 0.94, 0.95, and 0.89 for Caring, Activism, and Professionalism, respectively. The Indonesian version of the NPVS-3 is valid and reliable for use in Indonesia.

Professional and ethical values in Nursing practice: An Indian Perspective

OBJECTIVES

This study was carried out to examine professional and ethical values related to the profession from nurses' perspectives.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional survey carried out among 124 randomly selected nurses working at a tertiary care hospital in South India. The data was collected using Nursing Professional Values scale (NPVS-3). This tool consisted of 28 items to assess nurses' professional values in three domains namely; Caring (10 items), activism(10items), and professionalism (8items). The maximum range of scores is 28-140. The higher the score, the stronger the nurse's professional value orientation.

RESULTS

The mean total score of the Professional Value scale was high (121.07±15.32). The mean score of the participants was higher in the caring domain (44.02±5.75) than activism (42.19±6.33) and professionalism domains (34.86±4.27). Pearson correlational analysis revealed that nurses with less experience had greater mean professional values score than nurses with higher experience (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that nurses have high professional and ethical values, although they perceive that the most important values are those related to direct patient care. Continuing education programs should be designed so that nurses understand that nonclinical professional values are also equally important in promoting the nursing profession.

Reflective Practice in Times of Covid-19: A Tool to Improve Education for Sustainable Development in Pre-Service Teacher Training

Crisis situations such as the current Covid-19 pandemic are a catalyst for change. This study stresses the need to work towards achieving quality education, and to prepare future teachers in sustainability competencies. The research questions are related to the key competencies necessary to accelerate change and to how to increase awareness and literacy of the SDGs in higher education. A quantitative methodology aimed at improving the training of future teachers who engage in reflective and critical thinking was used. Data were gathered on the level of reflection of students from three Spanish universities. The instrument used, the Reflective Practice Questionnaire, includes concepts defined in the literature related to reflective capacity such as Reflection in Action, Reflection on Action and Reflection with Others. The results of the study provide quantitative data showing a positive impact of reflective practice on future teachers. Education for sustainable development requires participatory methods that motivate and empower students to change their behaviour. Reflective practice must be accompanied by processes of communication and supervision that encourage confidence and the desire to improve. Training future teachers in reflective practice should be a differentiating element to achieve quality education, allowing adaptation to current and future adverse situations.

Psychometric analysis of the Nurses' Professional Values Scale-3 Arabic version among student nurses

AIMS

We sought to establish the psychometric properties of the Nurses' Professional Values Scale-3 Arabic version among student nurses.

BACKGROUND

Nurses' professional values are central in the nursing profession; it encompasses principles such as respecting people rights and dignity, compassion, and caring without prejudice.

INTRODUCTION

The professional values of student nurses, most specifically in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, can hardly be studied due of the lack of a valid and reliable measure that is linguistically and culturally acceptable.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, we came up with the Arabic version of the tool and tested its psychometric properties among 350 student nurses from two universities in Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

The principal component analysis revealed three distinct factors with eigenvalues above 1.00 and with an explained variance of 70.5%. The computed Cronbach's alpha of the tool was 0.967, while 0.964, 0.960, and 0.886 were computed for activism, caring, and professionalism, respectively. The test-retest scores (n = 85) revealed an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 0.827 for the entire scale, 0.826 for the subscale activism, 0.792 for caring, and 0.870 for professionalism.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nurses' Professional Values Scale-3 Arabic version had sound psychometric properties when used among Saudi student nurses.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING

The tool can provide an accurate assessment of the professional values of Saudi nursing students and other Arabic-speaking student nurses.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING POLICY

The tool can be utilized by nursing and nursing education policymakers in Saudi Arabia and in other Arab countries in guiding the creation of practice and education policies that gears towards improving nurses' professional values in this part of the world.

Correlation of Students' Academic Achievements at a Professional Course of Ethics and Pediatrics Clinical Practice at Mizan-Tepi University, South Nations, Nationalities and People's Region, Ethiopia

Nursing is a respect for dignity and treating every person equally. Qualifying competent and ethical nurses requires the incorporation of a professional code of ethics with clinical nursing practice. However, no study was conducted on the relationship between professional ethics and clinical nursing practice. Therefore this study aimed to determine correlation between professional ethics and pediatrics clinical practice from an achievement perspective. Accordingly, cross-sectional study design was conducted at Mizan-Tepi University using nursing students' academic achievements at professional ethics and pediatric practice. Collected data were entered into Epi info 7. SPSS version 21.0 was used to calculate spearman's rho correlation (r _s) and coefficient of determination (R ²) at P < .05. A total of 316 study participants comprising of 209 (66.14%) male and 107 (33.86%) female nursing students included in the current study. Nursing students' academic achievements at professional ethics was significantly and positively associated with achievements at pediatrics clinical practice (r_s  = 0.4-0.6), P < .001. Linear regression results revealed 25% to 26.7% coefficient determination for regular students and 18% to 22.9% for summer nursing students. To sum up, there was a significant positive association between achievements of students at professional ethics and pediatrics clinical practice. Therefore increasing students' academic achievement in professional ethics can further improve their achievements at pediatrics clinical practice. However, academic achievement in professional ethics explained 22.35% of the variability in achievements at pediatric clinical practice. 77.65% of the variability in pediatrics clinical practice was due to other factors that deserve another study.

Professional values and nursing self-efficacy in the Italian context. Correlational descriptive study

INTRODUCTION

Nurses' professional values (NPVs) and self-efficacy (SE) are two fundamental elements in nursing care that influence its professional identity, competences, resulting in changing the behaviour of professionals and their response to the patient's health needs. The various studies produced so far have not investigated a possible relationship between these two areas. Therefore, the objective of the following study is to identify and deepen the relationship between NPV and SE, in order to improve the knowledge of these issues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An observational, correlational and multicentric study has been carried out through a questionnaire based survey. The sampling was conventional. The data collection took place through Nursing Professional Values Scale, version 3 (NPVS-3), which investigates professional values; and Nursing Professional Self-Efficacy Scale (NPSES), which investigates self-efficacy and a socio-demographic questionnaire.

RESULTS

The total sample was 532 nurses and 65.6% was female, with a median age of 42 years and a median of 15 working years. Positive statistically significant correlations between the various domains of the NPVS-3 and NPSES scales were found. These relationships also emerged in the analyses between geographical areas. Overall, the relationships between self-efficacy and values were similar in all the analyses.

DISCUSSION

As the professional values of nurses increase in their response to the patient's health needs, self-efficacy perceived by them increases and vice versa, significantly effecting the clinic and care outcomes of the patients and improving nursing outcomes. The stratification of the sample by geographical area regarding the relationship between age, years of work and professional values indicated that these variables strongly influence the NPV and SE of nurses. Therefore, in some contexts, more support in maintaining a stable value structure may be needed; moreover, it is necessary to incentivise nurses with more effective interventions, as an example and a basis of motivation for future generations.

Nurses' perceptions about the dignity of intubated patients

BACKGROUND

The intensive and critical care units are high-dependency areas, with patients requiring complex care. The intubated status of the intensive and critical care patients makes them dependent on healthcare providers not only for acute care, but also for intimate care, imposing a threat to their dignity. Nurses, being the central care providers, become the stakeholders for dignity promotion. The incorporation of dignity in patient care improves the quality of care, and promotes the health and well-being of intubated patients.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study was to explore nurses' perceptions about the dignity of intubated patients in the intensive and critical care units.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive exploratory study design was used to explore the nurses' perceptions about the dignity of intubated patients.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

The intensive and critical care nurses of a tertiary care hospital were recruited using the purposive sampling technique. The data were collected through in-depth individual interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide. The findings were manually analyzed into themes and categories through content analysis.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION

The study was conducted after the approval from the Ethical Review Committee of the Aga Khan University.

FINDINGS

Four major themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) two sides of the contemporary nursing practice; (2) benefits of dignified nursing care; (3) challenges to the dignity of intubated patients; and (4) strategies for promoting the dignity of intubated patients.

DISCUSSION

Dignity incorporates both the science and the art of nursing. The provision of dignified care is the core component of the quality nursing care and patient well-being in the high-dependency units.

CONCLUSION

This is the first exploratory and descriptive study conducted in Pakistan that explored the nurses' perceptions about the dignity of intubated patients, and also generated contextual understanding about the phenomenon.

Professional values and professional quality of life among mental health nurses: A cross-sectional study

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the professional values and professional quality of life of nurses working in mental health units. This descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted with a sample of 120 nurses working in mental health units of one regional, one public, and one university hospital in western Turkey. Data were collected using an introductory information form, the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised, and the Professional Quality of Life-IV Scale. A statistically positive relationship was found between nurses' professional values, compassion satisfaction, and burnout. Nurses' professional values, education level, whether considering changing units, and allocation of time to social life were significant predictors of professional quality of life, explaining 44% of the total variance for Compassion Satisfaction and 24% for Burnout. Whether considering changing units was the most important predictor of compassion satisfaction, and truth value was the most important predictor of burnout. Nurses providing care based on professional values were found to have higher compassion satisfaction and burnout levels, and nurses with higher compassion satisfaction were found to experience less compassion fatigue.

Examination of the professional values of the nurses and the associated factors

PURPOSE

This study is conducted to examine the professional values of nurses and their personal and professional characteristics affecting these values.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 369 nurses completed a questionnaire on personal information and nursing professional values scale (NPVS-R).

FINDINGS

The total scores of the nurses on the NPVS-R were found to be 100.87 ± 21.07, and the item mean scores were found to be 3.87 ± 0.81. When the scores for individual scale factors were examined, the highest scores were observed for the "caring" (4.02 ± 0.87) and "activism" (3.90 ± 0.89) factors.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The fact that nurses are aware of their individual values and how these values affect their behavior can be a guide in human-focused value nursing planning.

Countries' cultures and professional nursing values: Cross-cultural evidence from Spanish and Colombian nursing students

This study aimed to identify countries' cultural values associated with the importance given to certain professional nursing values by nursing students from Spain and Colombia. Weis and Schank's Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) in its Spanish version and the Hofstede cultural classification were used for this purpose. The sample was composed of 880 nursing students. Nursing students from both countries showed a greater importance for professional nursing values compared to evidence from other countries. Significant differences were also found in the total score, dimensions, and items, always being higher for Colombian students. Based on regression results, the impact that the academic year had on the importance given to NPVS-R is non-linear (U-inverted). Both groups of students gave the highest importance to the same group of items. Those showing the largest difference in the rankings were associated with country culture differences based on the scores identified by Hofstede. Colombian and Spanish societies present similarities in Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance, as well as differences in the other cultural dimensions.

Reframing the meaning of life and professional values: A theoretical framework of facilitating professional care for terminally ill patients

Professional values reflect nurses' understanding of how to deliver professional care, which might influence nurses' attitudes and caring behaviors during end-of-life care. However, limited research has been conducted to explore nurses' experiences of professional development during end-of-life care, and theoretical explanations are scarce about how nurses enact their professional values during the caring process. This study explored the social process of professional values involved in end-of-life care in the Chinese cultural context by adopting a constructivist grounded theory approach. Twenty semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 nurses from three hospitals in southeastern China were conducted. A theoretical framework emerged when focusing on the social process of "reframing the meaning of life and professional values" to facilitate professional care for terminally ill patients. Three main categories were sequentially identified as "recognizing the dilemmas when caring for terminally ill patients," "applying strategies to deal with values conflict," and "reconstructing values." This theoretical framework may be applied as a practical framework for equipping nurses with effective strategies to cultivate professional values, including the provision of adequate end-of-life knowledge, and a supportive workplace environment.

From twisting to settling down as a nurse in China: a qualitative study of the commitment to nursing as a career

Background

The nurse workforce shortage, partially caused by high work turnover, is an important factor influencing the quality of patient care. Because previous studies concerning Chinese nurse work turnover were predominantly quantitative, they lacked insight into the challenges faced by nurses as they transition from university to their career. A successful transition can result in new nurses' commitment to the career. As such, this study sought to understand how new nurses commit to the career, and focused on identifying facilitators and barriers to such commitment.

Methods

This was a qualitative study using a grounded theory design. Through purposive sampling, clinical nurses were recruited from hospitals in Western China to participate in semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed through coding to develop categories and themes.

Results

Theoretical saturation was achieved after interviewing 25 participants. The data revealed the 'zigzag journey' of committing to the nursing career. The emerging core theme was "getting settled", indicating that new nurses needed to acclimate to the work reality in the nursing career. By analyzing the data provided by the participants, the researchers concluded that the journey to getting settled in nursing compassed four stages:1) "sailing out with mixed feelings", 2) "contemplating to leave", 3) "struggling to stay", and 4) "accepting the role". For most participants, nursing was described as a way to earn a living for their family, not as a career about which they felt passionate.

Conclusions

Committing to the nursing career is a complicated long-term process. There seems to be a lack of passion for nursing among the Chinese clinical nurses participating in this study. Thus, the nurses may need continued support at different career stages to enhance their ability to remain a nurse for more than economic reasons.

The effect of professional values of nurses on their attitudes towards caregiving roles

AIM

This study was conducted to determine the effect of professional values of nurses on their attitudes towards caregiving roles.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional, correlational and descriptive study. The data were collected from 319 nurses working at different units in a public hospital between January and May 2019. The data collection tool included a 10-question participant information form, the nursing professional values scale and the attitude scale for nurses in caregiving roles. The variables were analysed using the multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

The nurses had professional values and attitudes towards caregiving roles at high levels. Significant differences were found in the overall scales and their subscales especially due to nurses loving their profession (P < 0.05). Attitudes of the nurses towards caregiving roles were predicted by human dignity (β = 0.52, P < 0.01), action (β = 0.34, P < 0.01) and autonomy (β = -0.29, P < 0.01). Human dignity, action and autonomy accounted for 30% of the variance in their attitudes towards caregiving roles (∆R² = 0.30).

CONCLUSION

Scores obtained by the nurses loving their profession from the nursing professional values scale and the attitude scale for nurses in caregiving roles were higher. In addition, nurses' caregiving roles were explained with professional values.

Is there a relationship between moral competencies and the formation of professional identity among nursing students?

Background

Moral competencies are essential for nursing work. Professional identity is a set of values and beliefs that a person has about her/his job, which includes moral values as well. The development of moral competencies and formation of professional identity in nursing students occurs mainly during their college years. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between moral competencies and the formation of professional identity among nursing students.

Methods

This study was designed as a descriptive-correlational study. The study population was consisted of nursing students who were enrolled in nursing schools at the time of the study. Two hundred and twenty-one nursing students completed the study tools. The research tools were a demographic questionnaire, Moral Development Scale for Professionals (MDSP), and Professional Identity Scale for Nursing Students (PISNS).

Results

The mean (SD) of MDSP and PISNS scores was 45.69 ± 5.90 and 55.61 ± 12.75, respectively. There was a significant statistical relationship between MSDP and PISNS scores (p < 0.05). A significant equation was found (f (2, 218) = 16.68, p < 0.001) with an R2 of 0.113. The MSDP scores increased 0.136 for each score of PISNS, and married students had 2.452 scores higher than single students.

Conclusions

The positive correlation between the formation of professional identity and development of morality in nursing students indicates that by strengthening students’ professional values, their moral competencies may develop positively.

Examining professional values among nursing students during education: A comparative study

BACKGROUND

For nursing students, close monitoring of the appropriate development of their professional values is an important educational objective, since it may influence crucial areas such as safety and quality of care. Research aims: first, to find development of specific professional values of students at different educational stages characterized by variation in learning methods; second, to examine professional values of nursing students related to their sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS

The research consisted 261 students that were were divided into three groups based on educational level: novice, advanced, and senior students. Data were collected using the Revised Nurses' Professional Values Scale.

RESULTS

The research showed statistically significant differences were found between three groups with different levels of education and in domains of professional values such as caring, activism, and justice. However, no statistically significant differences between nursing student sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, status, and education and their professional values overall.

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that nursing education has a significant effect on development of professional values, especially in the basic training phase, and there is a need to emphasize the application and practice of nursing values, particularly caring, activism, and justice, in theoretical courses.

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.

Professional Values of Nurses and Nursing Students: a comparative study

BACKGROUND

The process of learning the professional values is started from the student's entering to the university and to the workplace. This study compared the importance of professional values from the perspectives of nurses and nursing students.

METHODS

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 250 nurses and 100 nursing students. Data were collected using the Nursing Professional Values Scale-Revised.

RESULTS

According to the findings, the mean scores of nurses (3.68 ± 0.16) and nursing students' (3.86 ± 0.17) perspective toward professional values were at an important level. Furthermore, the students' perspective toward the professional values' importance was significantly more favorable than those of nurses. The highest mean scores of professional values in the two groups were related to the caring and justice domains. Both groups considered activism and professionalism as the least important domains among the others.

CONCLUSIONS

As the findings suggest, we need to pay more attention to values training, especially professionalism and activism, during undergraduate education for preparing the nurses to work in today's complex healthcare context. It is necessary to conduct more comprehensive studies for exploring the gap between theory and practice in different cultures and contexts.