Nurses, as the largest healthcare provider group, play a crucial role in patient care and treatment teams. To provide professional and appropriate care, nursing students must possess both clinical and moral competencies. Moral sensitivity, defined as the ability to recognize and understand moral situations, is paramount. It fosters trust and responsiveness to individual patient needs while equipping nurses to navigate ethical challenges within clinical settings. This study aimed to assess the moral sensitivity of nursing students and investigate its relationship with demographic characteristics. This descriptive-cross-sectional study involved 112 third- and fourth-year nursing students. Data were collected using demographic questionnaires and Lutzen's moral sensitivity scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23, employing descriptive and analytical statistical tests. The highest mean score for moral sensitivity was observed in the area of "honesty in decision-making" (14.71 ± 6.25), while the lowest mean was found in the area of "professional knowledge" (3.70 ± 2.12). The overall mean score for moral sensitivity was 15.87 ± 8.54, indicating a moderate level. Analysis of the relationship between demographic variables, including age, GPA, gender, marital status, living situation, current semester, family financial status, and parental education, revealed a significant positive correlation between moral sensitivity and family economic status only in the area of "experience with moral issues" (P=0.046). The findings of this study underscore the critical need for the development and implementation of structured programs designed to enhance the moral sensitivity of nursing students. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of considering influential social factors, such as economic conditions, in fostering moral experiences and strengthening ethical sensitivity.
