Today, nurses are required to have knowledge and awareness concerning professional values as standards to provide safe and high-quality ethical care. Nurses’ perspective on professional values affects decision-making and patient care. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the importance of professional values from clinical nurses’ perspective. The present cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 in four educational hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Data were collected via the Persian version of Nursing Professional Values Scale-Revised by Weis and (...) Schank. Sampling was conducted through the use of stratified random sampling method and 250 clinical nurses participated in the study. Results indicated that the total score of the nurses’ professional values was high.. From nurses’ perspective items such as “Maintaining confidentiality of patients” and “Safeguarding patients’ right to privacy” had more importance; however, “Recognizing role of professional nursing associations in shaping healthcare policy” and “Participating in nursing research and/or implementing research findings appropriate to practice had less importance. A statistically significant relationship was observed between NPVS-R mean scores and nurses’ age, work experience as well as participation in professional ethical training. Although the total score related to the clinical nurses’ perspective on professional values was high, the importance of certain values was at a lower level. Owing to the emerging ethical challenges, it is indispensable to design educational programs in order to improve nurses’ awareness and understanding of the comprehensive importance of professional values. Furthermore, it is recommended that mixed methods studies should be conducted in order to design an instrument to evaluate the use of values in nursing practice. (shrink)

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. (shrink)

One of the most important criteria for professionalism is accumulation of knowledge that is usable in professional practice. Nursing models and theories are important elements of accumulating nursing knowledge and have a chance to guarantee the ethical professional practice. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of models in nursing research and newly created terminology has started to be used in nursing. In this study, a new model, termed as the Professional Values Model, developed by the (...) authors was described. Concepts comprising the conceptual framework of the model and relations between the concepts were explained. It is assumed that awareness about concepts of the model will increase not only the patients’ satisfaction with nursing care, but also the nurses’ job satisfaction and quality of nursing care. Contemporary literature has been reviewed and synthesized to develop this theoretical paper on the Professional Values Model in nursing. Having high values in nursing increases job satisfaction, which results in the improvement of patient care and satisfaction. Also, individual characteristics are effective in the determination of individual needs, priorities, and values. This relation, proved through research about the Professional Values Model, has been explained. With development of these concepts, individuals’ satisfaction with care and nurses’ job satisfaction will be enhanced, which will increase the quality of nursing care. Most importantly, nurses can take proper decisions about ethical dilemmas and take ethical action when they take these values into consideration when giving care. The Professional Values Model seems suitable for nurse managers and it is expected that testing will improve it. Implementation of the Professional Values Model by nurse managers may increase motivation of nurses they work with. It is suggested that guidance by the Professional Values Model may help in enhancement of motivation efforts of the nurse managers and therefore should be taken into account. (shrink)

Background Developing a framework that illustrates causal relationships and an in-depth comprehension of contextual elements is essential for steering the development of ethical interventions to enhance nurses’ ethical decision-making. Research aim To examine the relationship between cultural competence, professional nursing values, and moral sensitivities of surgical nurses with a mediation analysis and structural equation model. Research design This study is descriptive and correlational. Participants and research context: This study was conducted with a total of 201 surgical nurses from two university (...) hospitals in Konya, Türkiye. Data were gathered face-to-face between June and October 2023 with the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire (MSQ), Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R), and Nurse Cultural Competence Scale (NCCS). Ethical considerations Ethical approval from Necmettin Erbakan University Ethics Committee was obtained (Number: 2023/419). Results In this study, the mean scores for the surgical nurses were as follows: 89.3 ± 19.33 on the MSQ, 113.1 ± 20.74 on the NPVS-R, and 72.06 ± 18.61 on the NCCS. Nurses’ cultural competence level significantly affected their professional nursing values (β = 0.192; p =.007; R2 = 0.04), and their professional nursing values, in turn, had a significant effect on their moral sensitivities (β = −0.363; p <.001; R2 = 0.16). However, it was determined that the direct effect of nurses’ cultural competence level on their moral sensitivity was not statistically significant. In contrast, the indirect effect of nurses’ cultural competence level on their moral sensitivity, mediated by their professional nursing values was seen to be statistically significant (B = −0.070; p =.008). Conclusions This study showed that there is a significant positive relationship between the professional nursing values and cultural competence levels of surgical nurses and that as professional nursing values increase, their moral sensitivity also rises. Sensitivity with higher professional nursing values. Additionally, it was found that nurses’ professional values served as a mediating factor between their levels of cultural competence and moral sensitivity. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the cultural competence, professional nursing values, and moral sensitivity of nursing students and registered surgical nurses and to improve their reasoning and decision-making skills in ethical dilemmas. (shrink)

Introduction Nurses’ moral courage (NMC) enhances care quality and patient safety. Nurses’ professional values promote ethical adherence, moral obligation fulfillment, and compliance to prevent ethical violations. It is necessary to explore the current status and influencing factors of moral courage from the perspective of professional values. Aim To investigate the current situation of nurses’ moral courage, analyze the latent profiles of nurses’ moral courage, and explore the influencing factors from the perspective of professional values. Research Design A cross-sectional design was (...) employed. Participants and research context Data were collected through convenient sampling at a tertiary hospital during May 2023 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. A self-designed web-based questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, the Chinese Nurses’ Professional Values Scale-Revised Version (NPVS-R-CV) and the Nurses’ Moral Courage Scale (NMCS) were used for the cross-sectional survey. Latent profile analysis was conducted using the results of 3 explicit indexes of NMCS, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of NMC. Ethical Considerations Research ethics approval (with the code of TJ- IRB 20220543) was obtained from Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Findings This study included 966 nurses, predominantly female and under 30 years old, with 91.10% holding a bachelor’s degree. Latent profile analysis identified three moral courage profiles: low-level (31.5%), medium-level (47.2%), and high-level (21.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed significant positive correlations between professional values and moral courage, with head nurses being significantly more likely to exhibit high moral courage (OR = 3.586, p = 0.013). Conclusions The moral courage of nurses can be classified into 3 subgroups. Nurses’ professional values positively correlate with moral courage, with head nurses showing significantly higher levels of moral courage. Strengthening professional values through training can enhance ethical behavior in nursing, potentially improving patient care and safety. (shrink)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has produced high stress in nurses, affecting their professional quality of life. Different variables affect psychological stress response and professional quality of life. In this context, the role of professional values represents an interesting object of research. Objectives: To analyze the relationship between professional values, perceived stress, and professional quality of life among nurses during the COVID-19 crisis. Research design, participants, and research context: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Participants were 439 registered nurses from the public health system. (...) Perceived stress, professional quality of life, and professional values were evaluated by using measuring instruments adapted and validated in the geographic context of research. Data were collected online in December 2020 during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Ethical considerations: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee on Clinical Research of the Principality of Asturias. Findings: Within professional values, ethics obtained higher scores showing the primacy of ethical values among nurses. Moderate correlations between ethics, mastery, expertise, and compassion satisfaction were found. Frontline nurses informed high perceived stress. The correlations between professional values and compassion satisfaction were higher in non-frontline nurses. A moderate negative correlation between perceived stress and compassion satisfaction was found in both groups, which implies that the higher the stress, the lower the satisfaction in the helping relationship. Conclusion: Professional values positively influence compassion satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compassion satisfaction presents a negative correlation with fatigue compassion and burnout in frontline and non-frontline nurses. Given the functionality of values both to guide clinical practice professionally and ethically, and prevent dissatisfaction with one’s professional quality of life by reinforcing compassion satisfaction, it is necessary to reinforce them with an intensive and cross-sectional learning during the university training. (shrink)

Background: In health, ethics is an essential aspect of practice and care and guarantees a better quality of life for patients and their caregivers. Objective: To outline a conceptual analysis of quality of life and ethics, identifying attributes, contexts and magnitudes for health. Method: A qualitative design about quality of life and ethics in health, considering the evolutionary approach in order to analyse the concept. To collect the data, a search was done using the keywords ethic*, quality of life and (...) health. After, in total, 152 studies were found, finalizing seven relevant studies for the proposed concept analysis. Findings and discussion: Of seven studies analysed, their main results were shown by means of antecedents, consequences and attributes of the concepts. The three final attributes that synthesize the concept of quality of life and ethics in health were highlighted: Ethics dilemmas and quality of life; Human ethics and quality of life; and Ethics of care and quality of life. In fact, the attributes and context clearly reveal that ethics and quality of life influence the ability to solve ethical dilemmas, guarantee human ethics in healthcare and impact ethics in healthcare for the production of effective health policies and care that encompasses professional quality of life as well. Conclusion: The magnitude of ethical knowledge in each professional discipline permits cultivating a solidary attitude and developing the willingness to improve healthcare. The right to access, dignity and respect in care delivery are rooted in behaviours and are spontaneously applied in practice to the extent that they play an ethical role. (shrink)

Background: Professional values improve the quality of nurses’ professional lives, reduce emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, increase personal success, and help to make collaborations with the members of the healthcare team more frequent. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the professional values of Turkish nurses and to explore the relationships between nurses’ characteristics. Methods: This was a descriptive study of a convenience sample consisting of 269 clinical nurses. A questionnaire was used to identify socio-demographic characteristics, and the Nurses’ (...) Professional Values Scale was applied. Ethical considerations: Permission to conduct the study was received from the hospital and the Institutional Review Boards of the Süleyman Demirel University ethic committee. Results: The mean scale score of the participant nurses was 165.41 ± 20.79. The results of this study revealed that human dignity was the most important professional value for nurses, and the importance attached to these values showed statistically significant differences by age, length of service, educational level, marital status, position at work, and receiving relevant in-service training. Conclusion: Nurses’ Professional Values Scale scores showed that nurses give above average and attached importance to professional values. (shrink)

Background: Compassion fatigue is recognized as impacting the health and effectiveness of healthcare providers, and consequently, patient care. Compassion fatigue is distinct from “burnout.” Reliable measurement tools, such as the Professional Quality of Life scale, have been developed to measure the prevalence, and predict risk of compassion fatigue. This study reviews the prevalence of compassion fatigue among healthcare practitioners, and relationships to demographic variables. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using key words in MEDLINE, PubMed, and Ovid databases. Data were (...) extracted from a total of 71 articles meeting inclusion criteria, from studies measuring compassion fatigue in healthcare providers using a validated instrument. Quantitative and qualitative data were extracted and compiled by three independent reviewers into an evidence table that included basic study characteristics, study strength and quality determination, measurements of compassion fatigue, and general findings. Meta-analysis, where data allowed, was stratified by Professional Quality of Life version, heterogeneity was quantified, and pooled means were reported with 95% confidence interval. A table of major study characteristics and results was created. Ethical consideration: This paper contains no primary data obtained directly from research participants. Data obtained from previously published resources have been acknowledged within references. Psychological distress, particularly compassion fatigue, can be insidious, no health profession is immune, and may significantly impact the ability to provide care. Results: A total of 71 studies were included. Compassion fatigue was reported across all practitioner groups studied. Relationships to most demographic variables such as years of experience and specialty were either not statistically significant or unclear. Variability in reporting of Professional Quality of Life results was found. Interpretation: Compassion fatigue exists across diverse practitioner groups. Prevalence is highly variable, and its relationship with demographic, personal, and/or professional variables is inconsistent. Questions are raised about how to mitigate compassion fatigue. (shrink)

Background and significance of research: Nurses’ awareness of professional values and how those values affect their behaviors is an integral part of nursing care. There is a large body of research on nursing professional values, however, a careful survey of the available literature did not yield any studies investigating the status of professional values in operating rooms. Objective: This study aims to investigate the perception of operating room nurses of university hospitals toward professional values. Research plan: In this cross-sectional study, (...) data were collected using Schank and Weis’s Nurses Professional Values Scale–Revised. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS version 16. Participants and settings: The 513 participants of the study consisted of operating room nurses and nurse anesthetists from six university hospitals. Ethical considerations: This study has been approved by the ethics committee of the university. Findings: The mean total professional values score of the operating room staff was found to be 100.84 ± 15.685, which indicates that the participants had a positive perception toward observance of nursing professional values in practice. The results showed that the participants considered the domains of justice and activism as, respectively, the most and the least important. The operating room staff’s overall professional values scores were not found to correlate significantly with their ages, professional experience, university majors, or attendance at ethics workshops. However, a significant difference was found between the professional values scores of the female and male staff. The professional values scores of the operating room nurses and the nurse anesthetists were not significantly different (p value = 0.494). Conclusion: Operating room staff’s awareness of professional values is essential to providing care to patients based on professional principles. Accordingly, there is need for programs to raise operating room nurses’ awareness of their professional duties and improve their professional performance. (shrink)