Fariba Borhani, Mariye Jenabi Ghods, Ladan Fattah Moghadam, Tahereh Gilvari, Amirreza Rafiei Javazm, Mahshad Naserpour, Mohammad Javad Hosseinabadi ‑farahani,
Volume 17, Issue 0 (Supplement of 11th Annual Iranian Congress of Medical Ethics 2024)
Abstract
Moral sensitivity is a fundamental characteristic of professional ethics in nursing, significantly influencing patient care. This qualitative study aimed to explore the concept of moral sensitivity among psychiatric nurses. The study employed a qualitative approach using content analysis. Participants included 15 psychiatric nurses working at Razi Psychiatric Hospital in Iran, selected through purposive sampling based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After obtaining ethical approval, data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and managed using MAXQDA software. Data analysis was conducted following Granheim and Lundman’s five-step method (2004), and the trustworthiness of the findings was ensured using Guba and Lincoln’s criteria. The findings revealed three main categories and six subcategories:
- Ethical Knowledge (comprising clinical experience and education, and professional development).
- Ethical and Legal Conflicts (including discrepancies between ethical principles and legal frameworks, and challenges in ethical decision-making within complex legal situations).
- Ethical Atmosphere (encompassing individual ethics and organizational ethics).
Based on these findings, it is recommended that these insights be integrated into nursing education, research, and management to enhance care for patients with psychiatric disorders.
