Ethical Attitudes of Intensive Care Nurses during Clinical Practice and Affecting Factors

Compassion in action: Exploring the relationship between nurse conscientious intelligence and palliative care

BACKGORUND

Conscience is a concept that is the foundation of nursing, guiding nurses to ethical practices, and helping them to provide the best professional care possible. Conscience enables nurses to be understanding and careful in patient care.

AIM

The study had three aims: (1) to determine the level of conscientious intelligence and palliative care practice of intensive care nurses; (2) to determine the effect of sociodemographic and occupational variables on conscientious intelligence and palliative care practices; and (3) to examine the relationship between conscientious intelligence and palliative care practice.

METHODS

This study was designed as a descriptive-correlative study. The sample consisted of 157 nurses from a university hospital. The data were collected using questionnaire form, Conscientious Intelligence Scale and the Palliative Care Self-Reported Practices Scale between February and March 2021.

RESULTS

By the general multivariate linear model, while age, educational level, professional experience, total term of employment in the clinic, and training in palliative care were important predictors of palliative care practices, age and gender were significant predictors of conscientious intelligence. It was concluded that the level of palliative care practice of intensive care nurses with a high level of conscientiousness was also higher.

CONCLUSION

The conscientious intelligence levels of intensive care nurses positively affected palliative care practices. It can be said that it is important for nurses to combine their conscience with their professional knowledge and skills while providing care services.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

In the realm of nursing, it is imperative for professionals to not only possess knowledge and competence, but also to act with conscience when caring for patients. This study demonstrated that nurses with heightened conscientious awareness are more adept at providing palliative care. Consequently, it is vital to support practices and training that foster conscientiousness among nurses, who must exercise patience and diligence in their careers.

Relationship Between Intensive Care Nurses' Attitudes and Behaviors Toward End-of-Life Care and Ethical Attitudes

BACKGROUND

Nurses are in a central position to improve care for dying patients and their families by challenging current end-of-life practices in their settings. Nurses who care for such patients experience the associated ethical dilemmas. However, the relation between their attitude and behavior regarding end-of-life care and their ethical attitudes is not known.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine the relation between the attitudes and behaviors of intensive care unit nurses to end-of-life care and their ethical attitudes in the care process.

METHODS

The research was conducted in Antalya, one of the most populous provinces in Turkey, with 287 intensive care nurses working in 4 different hospitals. The research data were collected between June 30 and August 30, 2021. Self-report data were collected using a Nurses' Description Form, the Attitudes and Behaviors of ICU Nurses to End-of-Life Care Scale, and the Ethical Attitude Scale for Nursing Care.

RESULTS

The mean score of the intensive care nurses for attitude and behaviors to end-of-life care was 62.36 ± 13.22, and their mean score for ethical attitude for nursing care was 149.76 ± 24.98.

CONCLUSION

It was found that intensive care nurses' attitudes and behaviors to end-of-life care had a positive correlation on their ethical attitudes in the care process (P < .001).

DISCUSSION

It would be of interest to understand how these attitudes impact clinical decision-making for the ultimate understanding of whether nurses' attitudes can be a barrier to the delivery of quality end-of-life care.