Perception of care quality and ethical sensitivity in surgical nurses

Abstract

Background: It is stated that high ethical sensitivity positively affects the quality of nursing care. However, the relationship between nursing care quality and ethical sensitivity has not been clearly demonstrated in researches. Aim: This study was carried out to determine the relationship between surgical nurses’ care behaviors and their ethical sensitivity. Method: The sample of this cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study consists of 308 nurses who worked at the surgical departments in four Turkish hospitals. The data were collected using the “Nurse Description Form” developed by the researcher, “Caring Behaviours Inventory-24” and “Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire.” Data were evaluated by the Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis one-way analysis of variance and Spearman correlation analysis. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the ethics committee. Verbal and written consent was received from the nurses. Results: It was found in the study that nurses’ Caring Behaviours Inventory-24 total score median was 5.25 (4.83–5.58), nurses’ perception level of caring quality was high, median of Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire total score was 89.00 (75.00–101.00) and nurses’ ethical sensitivity was moderate. A negative significant relation was found between nurses’ Caring Behaviours Inventory-24 total score and Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire total score (r = -0.162; p = 0.009). A negative relation was also detected between nurses’ working period at the current clinic and providing benefit (r = -0.147; p = 0.012), holistic approach (r = -0.139; p = 0.018) and orientation (r = -0.175; p = 0.003) scores of Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire sub-scales. Conclusion: Nurses’ perception levels of caring quality were high and their ethical sensitivity levels were moderate. It was found out that nurses’ ethical sensitivity increased together with their perception of caring quality, and as their working period at the current clinic increased, the ethical sensitivity also increased in terms of the sub-scales of providing benefit, holistic approach, and orientation. The factors that adversely affect the quality of nursing care and ethical sensitivity should be examined and attempts should be made to improve the working environment.

The association between perceived hospital ethical climate and self-evaluated care quality for COVID-19 patients: the mediating role of ethical sensitivity among Chinese anti-pandemic nurses

“…Similar to previous studies [ 56 , 57 ], our study revealed that the perceived hospital ethical climate, ethical sensitivity, and self-evaluated care quality were positively correlated with each other and that ethical sensitivity partly mediated the relationship between hospital ethical climate and self-evaluated care quality. Nurses played a crucial role in the treatment and care of COVID-19 patients, and ethical sensitivity was essential for nurses to provide high-quality care.…”

Psychosocial experiences of frontline nurses working in hospital-based settings during the COVID-19 pandemic - A qualitative systematic review

“…The findings reveal that nurses experienced an inevitable sense of a loss of control when facing the suffering of patients combined with the perceived risks in contaminated environments, though having a sense of control is vital for nurses to resist distress and anxiety ( Gallagher et al, 2014 , Taylor et al, 2020 ). Evidence indicates that healthcare professionals frequently met ethical challenges in difficult work conditions ( Mert et al, 2020 , Cerit and Dinç, 2013 , Amiri et al, 2019 ). Insufficient knowledge and resources, uncertainty with duties and procedures, and communication problems are the major causes of ethical issues and moral distress felt by nurses, and it is consistently noted that nurses are unable to provide adequate care when facing these challenges ( Dehghani et al, 2015 , Mert et al, 2021 , Silverman et al, 2021 ).…”

The effect of Covid-19 on ethical sensitivity

“…1 The physicians and nurses often have ethical problems due to working in units like surgical units where there are complex structures, circulation, and use of technology is high, surgical patients have a high risk of injury, infection, and exposure to dangerous substances, unexpected, life-threatening, and rapid decision-making situations often develop. 2,3…”

“…The pandemic period in which ethical issues may be encountered requires the development of ethical sensitivities of physicians and nurses to make ethical decisions. 3,6,20 High ethical sensitivity not only contributes to professionalization but also directly affects the quality of treatment and care for patients. 3,21 In professional healthcare practices, identifying the attitudes and behaviors of surgical physicians and nurses on ethical sensitivity, which is one of the significant components of qualified treatment and care, can contribute to taking the necessary precautions by identifying the deficiencies and errors in this regard and can also be beneficial in raising the awareness level of health professionals and the treatment.…”

“…3,6,20 High ethical sensitivity not only contributes to professionalization but also directly affects the quality of treatment and care for patients. 3,21 In professional healthcare practices, identifying the attitudes and behaviors of surgical physicians and nurses on ethical sensitivity, which is one of the significant components of qualified treatment and care, can contribute to taking the necessary precautions by identifying the deficiencies and errors in this regard and can also be beneficial in raising the awareness level of health professionals and the treatment. 3,22 In light of this information, this study aimed to determine the ethical sensitivity levels of physicians and nurses working in surgical units during the Covid-19 pandemic and to raise awareness on the subject.…”