The relationship between hospital ethical climate and continuing education in nursing ethics

Abstract

Background In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the importance of creating a healthy ethical climate. Although relationship with various factors and the ethical climate have been reported, understanding of the relationship between ethical education and ethical climate is limited. Aim This study aims to investigate the relationship between ethical climate, personal characteristics, and continuing education for ethics. Methods This study conducted a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 605 nurses in 3 teaching hospitals in Japan. Multiple-regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between ethical climate and demographic characteristics and continuing education. Further mean of ethical climate scores were compared between received continuing education and did not, using analysis of covariance adjusted for demographic variables. Findings The ethical climate showed significant association with hospital, gender, specialty of the unit, experience of ethics education, in-service ethical training, and workshops/ academic conferences on nursing ethics. In multiple-regression analysis, attending in-service ethical training increased the mean of ethical climate score (p = 0.031) and workshops/ academic conferences decreased the mean score (p = 0.028). Adjusted-mean of ethical climate score of nurses who had in-service training was significantly higher than those who had not (p = 0.038), whereas adjusted-mean of it of nurses who had attended workshops/ academic conferences was significant lower (p = 0.033). Discussion In-service training on ethics was associated with the positive ethical climate. Hospital should enhance ethical education. Conclusion Ethical climate related to the nurses’ personal characteristics and continuing education. We propose that organizational support for ethical education may be effective in raising the ethical climate of the workplace.

A multi-country mixed-method study identifying the association between perceived ethical work climate and problems among critical care nurses

“…Participants’ narrations also linked the lack of training and incompetent staff with negative work climate perceptions. This is consistent with Okumoto et al [ 37 ], who documented that the ethical climate of nurses in three Japanese teaching hospitals showed a significant association with hospital, gender, unit specialty, experience of ethics education, in-service ethical training, and workshops/ academic conferences on nursing ethics. In their narrations, participants suggested the policymakers to create specific policies targeting the isolation ICUs.…”

The status of ethical behaviour in clinical nursing in three Chinese hospitals: A qualitative interview study

“…Özden et al's (2019) study stated that nurses' perception of ethical climate increases with their perception of ethical leadership. Okumoto et al (2022) found that in‐service training held in the workplace makes nurses have a consistent awareness of the professional ethics of their hospital to have a more positive understanding of the ethical climate of their hospital. Therefore, nursing managers can improve the ethical climate by improving their own ethical leadership and holding in‐service training.…”

Ethical climate in healthcare: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The majority of studies were carried out in Iran (n = 13) 2 20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 and the US (n = 10). [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] Several studies were carried out in Asia (n = 11) 10,[43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] and Europe (n = 6). [52][53][54][55][56][57] One study was carried out in Australia, 4 Canada 58 and Egypt, 7 respectively.…”