Moral Sensitivity among Nursing and Midwifery Students and Practitioners: a Comparative Report from Iran

Abstract

Background: Ethical sensitivity refers to knowledge and practice of ethical issues in a contradictory situation highlighted with self-awareness of one’s role and duty in those particular situations. According to ethics of care, the caregiver is committed to continuous learning and practicing the right options. The present study aimed to compare the moral sensitivity of midwifery and nursing students with that of nurses and midwives in Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
 Materials and methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, participants were nursing students (n=60), midwifery students (n=50), nurses (n=100) and midwives (n=38), who were selected by convenience sampling. A validated Persian version of Han’s (2010) Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire (0-100) was used for data collection (α=0.97). Descriptive and analytic statistics were applied for data analysis.
 Results: The participants’ mean scores of ethical sensitivity were as follows: midwifery students (90.82±1.47), nursing students (93.06±1.12), midwives (89.76±1.21), and nurses (89.67±1.47). Based on four regression models, significant differences were observed (level of confidence: 95%): midwifery students' mean moral sensitivity score was 6.16 less than that of nursing students; midwifery students' mean score was 4.58 higher than that of midwives; midwives’ mean score was 1.83 less than that of nurses; and nurses’ mean score was 3.01 less than that of nursing students.
 Conclusion: The participants' moral sensitivity can be conceived as desirable. The significance of differences may be accounted for by factors such as their role and specialty. Taking measures to sustain and strengthen the moral sensitivity in all medical and healthcare groups are recommended.

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

“…In the present study, the ethical sensitivity of the participants during the pandemic was also examined, and no significant change was found. Before the pandemic, studies examining the ethical sensitivity of nursing students in the literature revealed that the ethical sensitivity of the students is at a medium‐high level (Bayrak Aykan et al., 2019 ; Hançerlioğlu et al., 2020 ; Hoseini et al., 2020 ; Kilic Akca et al., 2017 ) supporting this study. Nurses often have ethical problems in practice.…”

“…Overall, ethical sensitivity is extremely important for health care and treatment as it shapes nurses ability of ethical decision‐making. Therefore, student nurses should develop ethical sensitivity during their academic education (Hançerlioğlu et al., 2020 ; Hoseini et al., 2020 ). For nursing students to become nurses with a developed sense of ethics after graduation, they must first be aware of their own emotions, thoughts and values, and also undergo an education programme that provides the capacity to deal with the ethical dilemmas brought by the patient care (Hançerlioğlu et al., 2020 ).…”

“…Several studies have been conducted before the pandemic regarding professional values (Ayaz‐Alkaya et al., 2018 ; Aydin Ayla et al., 2018 ; Bleda et al., 2020 ; Paşalak et al., 2021 ; Poorchangizi et al., 2019 ) and ethical sensitivities (Bayrak Aykan et al., 2019 ; Hançerlioğlu, et al., 2020 ; Hoseini et al., 2020 ; Kilic Akca et al., 2017 ) of nursing students. However, there is a gap in the literature about how the professional values and ethical sensitivity of newly qualified nurses are affected during the COVID‐19 pandemic.…”

The Relationship Between Religion Orientation and Moral Courage: A Study on Nursing Students

“…In this scale, extrinsic religious orientation is rated on a 4-point Likert scale as follows: Completely disagree (5), somehow disagree (4), agree (2), and completely agree (1). For the intrinsic religious orientation scale, the rating is as follows: Completely agree (1), somehow agree (2), agree rather than not (4), and completely disagree (5). The lowest score is given to people expressing intrinsic religious orientation (i.e., scores between 9 and 45), and the highest score is given to those with extrinsic religious orientation (i.e., scores between 11 and 55).…”

“…This is because the future decisions made by nurses in their work environments are closely tied to moral considerations. These decisions not only have an impact on the lives of patients but also influence the quality of the care provided (5). Research has shown that nursing students with higher levels of moral courage demonstrate greater professional commitment, enabling them to advocate for the rights and needs of their patients.…”