Showing 38 results for Professional Ethics
Ramin Sepahvand, Amir Mohsen Rahnejat, Haleh Shahed Hagh Ghadam, Vahid Donyavi, Arsia Taghva,
Volume 13, Issue 0 (3-2020)
Abstract
Military psychologists and mental health professionals live and work alongside their potential patients. For the most important concerns of military psychologists are multiple relationships, confidentiality, sudden role shifts and avoiding harm. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of the military psychologists regarding ethical challenges in the counseling centers of one of the Iranian military forces. This qualitative and content analysis study was performed on 31 military psychologists during 2019. Participants had a master's degree in one of the psychology majors and 5-15 years of work experience. Data were collected by electronic questionnaire, due to access difficulty. The most important challenges of professional ethics mentioned by the participants included boundaries of competence, confidentiality, multiple relationships, and sudden role shifts. The results of this study showed that one of the problems affecting the performance of military psychologists is ethics’ issues and its challenges. Thus, according to this study, to better manage possible ethical challenges for military psychologists, they are suggested to participate in workshops and become acquainted with important ethical decisions and ethical conflicts inherent to military settings, be active in obtaining consultation and supervisions, and involve themselves in self-monitoring programs to consistently make good ethical decisions.
Fatemeh Jafarinahlashkanani, Zainab Eydivandi, Marzieh Shafiei, Elham Maraghi, Mehrnaz Moradi Kalboland,
Volume 13, Issue 0 (3-2020)
Abstract
The observance of professional ethics standards’ is inherent nature of nursing profession. Observance of ethical standards by them will be an effective factor in improving performance of patient care and affecting the quality of health care. This study was conducted to determine the facilitating and Inhibitory factors of professional ethics from the perspective of nurses. This cross-sectional descriptive study with the participation of 367 nurses in Masjed-e-Soliman hospitals was performed in 2019. The data collection tool was a questionnaire of facilitating factors in the three dimensions of management, individual, and patients and inhibitory factors in three dimensions of management, environmental, and individual care; design, validity, and reliability of the questionnaire was reported by Dehghani. Data analysis was analyzed using SPSS version 22 and statistical tests. From the nurses' point of view, facilitating factors to follow ethics were: sufficient personnel in proportion to the number of patients (64.6%) in the managerial dimension, proper interpersonal relationship between colleagues and other treatment teams (60.3%) in the individual dimension;. appropriate treatment of patients with nursing staff (59.1%) in the patient dimension. The most important inhibitory factors were: lack of attention to the ability and skills of personnel during the division of labor (71.2%) in the managerial dimension; crowded and busy wards in environmental dimension (69.6%); shortage of time in the individual and care dimension (66.4%). In this research, most important facilitating and inhibitory factors for following professional ethics standards in nurses was evaluated. Due to the necessity of observing the standards of professional ethics in nursing performance, the managers of health care organizations can observe the current situation by conducting periodic studies in the field of professional ethics from the perspective of nurses and patients.
Hamid Khajevandi, Abbas Ebadi, Akbar Aghaiani Chavoshi, Morteza Khaghanizade,
Volume 13, Issue 0 (3-2020)
Abstract
Moral courage is the ability to overcome fear and performing the right action based on moral beliefs despite the potential danger. Nurses, as moral agents, need moral courage to properly manage moral problems and make a professional commitment to patients. Therefore, the above study was conducted to investigate the moral courage of nurses and related factors. In this descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in 2019, the research population was all nurses working in Baqiyatallah Hospital. After explaining the objectives of the study and obtaining the consent of the research, 220 nurses were selected as available samples. The data collection tool was Sadooghiasl questionnaire. After completing the questionnaire, they completed 187 sample questionnaires. SPSS software was used to analyze the data. The results of the study showed that the mean score of nurses' moral courage was 413.37 with a standard deviation of 46.70. Thirty percent had moderate moral courage and 69.5% had high moral courage. The results of the independent T-test and ANOVA showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between the variable employment status and the moral courage of nurses. Considering the results of this study and the many ethical challenges that exist in the nursing profession, the issue of moral courage and related factors and providing solutions to improve it, should be at the forefront of the health organization and nursing managers.
Atefah Roomi, Farkhondeh Jamshidi, Amin Moradi,
Volume 13, Issue 0 (3-2020)
Abstract
Professional ethics is one of the most important topics in medicine that educators or professors play an important role in teaching and measuring it. The present study was designed and conducted to evaluate the observance of professional ethics among surgical assistants of educational hospitals of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2019 by self-assessment method. This study was a cross-sectional study. Each of the assistants completed a standard questionnaire that included the variables required for the study. The sample was selected according to population of surgical assistants in the general and orthopedic departments, who entered the study using census sampling method and were equal to 47 people. Of 47 participants, 29 were assistant general surgeons and 18 were orthopedic surgeons. Observance of professional ethics was acceptable. There was a significant relationship between knowledge and communication skills and assistants in both general and orthopedic departments (P <0.05). There was a significant relationship between professional ethics and assistants in both general and orthopedic departments (P<0.05). Respect for others with a mean of 1.66±6.0, had the highest mean rate. Also, interpersonal and social skills with an average of 2.17±4.48, had the lowest mean. Considering that inclusion of professional ethics in laws and regulations is one of the important and vital factors in growth and development of ethics, institutionalization of professional ethics in strategic plan should be considered by policy makers and structure, training and evaluation of professional ethics be reviewed.
Seyedeh Mahboobeh Rezaeean, Zahra Kazemi Gelian, Ghasem Kazemi Gelian, Zohreh Abbasi, Elahe Salari, Mahbubeh Tabatabaeichehr,
Volume 14, Issue 0 (3-2021)
Abstract
Failure to follow professional ethics in midwifery will lead to harmful risks, including an increase in maternal and infant mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the barriers to professional ethics in midwifery clinical care from midwives ’viewpoints in hospitals specializing in obstetrics and gynecology in North Khorasan province in 2018. This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed with the participation of 141 midwives working in specialized obstetrics and gynecology hospitals in North Khorasan province, using classified sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of two parts: demographic information and barriers to professional ethics, in three areas: environmental and managerial and personal care. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 and descriptive and inferential statistics. From the perspective of midwives, all three categories of environmental factors (73.94%), personal care (64.66%) and management (64.97%) were among the barriers to professional ethics. The most important barriers to professional ethics in the managerial dimension are staff shortages (80%), in the environmental dimension, biological changes in the body during work shifts (85.2%) and in the personal dimension, dissatisfaction with basic needs, such as insufficient income or adequate rest in midwifery (80.9%), was. Given the importance of observing professional ethics and the issues and problems arising from non-compliance, it is suggested that managers and officials make the necessary planning by hospitals to remove the barriers mentioned by midwives.
Fariba Asadi, Maryam Donyaei , Mostafa Karimzadeh, Mahdi Heydari,
Volume 14, Issue 0 (3-2021)
Abstract
Applying the principles of professional ethics by nurses creates a suitable social and psychological environment for patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of nurses' awareness of the principles of professional ethics and barriers towards its observance in public hospitals in South Khorasan province in 2019.The present study was a cross-sectional study that was performed on 230 nurses in South Khorasan province by multi-stage sampling method. Data collection tools were a checklist of demographic information and a questionnaire about nurses' awareness and barriers of the principles of professional ethics. Data were analyzed by SPSS V.22 software using descriptive and inferential statistics. In this study, the mean ± SD age of participants was 32.34 ± 5.73 years. The mean score of participants' awareness was moderate level and the first obstacle to professional ethics from the perspective of nurses was the environmental domain. The most important obstacles to professional ethics were dissatisfaction from basic needs, unreasonable expectations of patients and their attendants from nursing staff and nursing staff shortages, respectively. Since nurses' awareness of the principles of professional ethics is moderate level, so holding professional ethics workshops, removing environmental barriers, and providing favorable conditions for nurses including improving the conditions of wards and increasing staff and meeting their expectations in the fields Various such as adequate rest, adequate income and planning appropriate shifts are recommended.
Nafiseh Momeni, Mojgan Alaeddini, Shahroo Etemad-Moghadam,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
Various decision-making dilemmas arise for clinician in their practice, and one such dilemma involves dealing with medical or dental errors. Despite efforts to minimize errors and prevent harm to patients, complications arising from diagnostic or therapeutic mistakes can sometimes be irreversible. In such situations, it is crucial for dentists to engage in ethical encounters with their patients and investigate the root cause of the error. In this study, an approach was suggested for the management of detection of diagnostic error in pathology using the World Dental Federation ethical decision-making model.
Arman Latifi, Seyyed Sadegh Hosseini, Sara Rahimi, Vahid Rahmani, Atefeh Esfandiari, Hedayat Salari,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
Professional commitment is described as a set of attitudes, values, behaviors, and relationships that serve as the foundation of a health professional's contract with society. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the attitude of medical students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences towards professional commitment in 2022. The research population of this descriptive study included 254 students of the last 3 years of the Faculty of Medicine of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences who were included in the study by census. The standard questionnaire of attitude towards the professional commitment of doctors was used for data gathering. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25. Descriptive tests, Spearman's correlation test, linear regression and Mann-Whitney test were used to analyze the data. The mean and standard deviation of the age of the students participating in the study was 24.69±2.25 years. The mean and standard deviation of the attitude score towards professional commitment were 67.12±12.72 out of 100. There was a statistically significant relationship between the variables of age, academic semester and experience of participating in training courses related to professional ethics with the mean attitude score (p < 0.05), but there was no relationship between gender and the attitude score towards professional commitment. There was no statistical significance (p > 0.05). Educational centers and its professors, as the most influential force on the formation of students' morals, should revise and implement the educational program well in the field of medical professionalism, considering professional needs
Reza Shahrabadi, Roghayeh Javan, Roghayeh Zardosht, Mojgan Ansari, Mehdi Rabiei, Hamideh Yazdimoghaddam,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
The health team, in their daily operations, are faced with many ethical issues they have to solve. Moral knowledge includes confronting with and resolving conflicts, values, norms, interests, or laws. Identifying the ethical challenges of the health system can contribute to the efficiency of educational and health programs of universities of medical sciences. The objective of this study was to explain the components of professional ethics in therapeutic and health interactions with patients. In this qualitative research, the Delphi method was used to determine the components of professional ethics. The participants were composed of three groups including faculty members, students, and clinical staff who were selected using purposive sampling. First, by reviewing the literature, a semi-structured questionnaire was developed to investigate different components of professional ethics. Then, using the Delphi method in four rounds, the ethical components were selected and by checking content validity indices (CVR and CVI), the final version of professional ethics components was explained based on therapeutic and health interactions with patients. The results of the qualitative research and the Delphi model led to the extraction of the 12 most common ethical components including disclosure of patients’ secrets, lack of justice in providing services, lack of respect for the patient’s discretion, medical and treatment staff errors, lack of compliance with regulations and standards of treatment and care, non-observance of legal regulations in telling bad news by the doctor, non-observance of dying patient’s rights, non-observance of patient’s privacy, lack of proper training of care principles and new and up-to-date treatment tips to students and staff, and finally, non-observance of professional communication. Accordingly, the final components were compiled as a questionnaire. Achieving ethical competence requires the identification of ethical components in educational, therapeutic, and care environments, especially in interaction with the patient. Therefore, it is necessary to identify, structure and formulate ethical components in regular and continuous training programs in the field of importance and observance of ethical principles in medical and health centers.
Amirahmad Shojaee, Fazlollah Hasanvand, Hamidreza Namazi, Mojtaba Parsa, Kobra Rashidi,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
Professional ethics is based on human values, tasks, rights and responsibilities and affects the professional and organizational conditions of nurses. In this regard, the aim of this study was identifying framework of the dimensions of nurses' professional ethics from the point of view their and physicians. This study was done with qualitative method, using semi-structured interview, with the participation of 26 physicians medical ethics specialist, clinical specialist, clinical assistant and intern and 20 nurses based on theoretical saturation with the purposeful sampling method and after obtaining informed consent from them. Content analysis method was used for data analysis, which was done in MAXQDA version 18 software. Findings showed professional ethics was based on a four-dimensional framework; The professional ethics of nurses in relation to the patient (six sub-components), in relation to colleagues in different job categories (four sub-components), in relation to the profession (three sub-components) and in relation to the hospital and medical organizations (two sub-components). The reliability of the coding of the components was obtained based on the Kappa index equal to 0.88. Therefore, it can be said. Framework of the dimensions professional ethics of the point of view of nurses found meaning in relation to themselves and others (patients, colleagues, organization and profession). The nurses, knowing and observing the details and nature of these communications, as well as the individual rights of these people from their own point of view; they can properly implement the principles of professional ethics in advancing the goals of the organization and increasing the quality of service provision and the satisfaction of others and raising the status of the profession.
Leila Afshar,
Volume 17, Issue 0 (12-2024)
Abstract
Evidence from national and international institutions highlights a significant clinical practice gap, including the failure to adhere to best evidence-based practices at the point of care. This issue is multifaceted, stemming from incomplete information, poor communication by practitioners—resulting in inadequate patient compliance and understanding—and various environmental or social factors. A significant portion of these shortcomings lies in areas commonly referred to as professional behavior and professional ethics. While considerable efforts have been directed toward knowledge translation and implementing best clinical evidence, equivalent attention must be given to integrating professionalism and professional ethics into continuing medical education (CME) or, more aptly, continuing professional development (CPD). These aspects, however, appear underemphasized or even neglected in many CPD programs. This article seeks to address the essential "musts" and "must-nots" for designing an effective CPD program that incorporates professionalism and professional ethics as foundational components.
Azam Khorshidian,
Volume 17, Issue 0 (12-2024)
Abstract
Nurses are committed to protecting the rights of their patients. However, significant challenges often arise in their communication with physicians and patients. In some situations, nurses feel that patient autonomy is not respected, and sufficient, appropriate information is not provided to patients and their families. These challenges are particularly pronounced in pediatric nursing, as children often cannot fully express their needs. Pediatric nurses must be especially sensitive to the vulnerability of children and their families, actively supporting their welfare and best interests. When a child is suffering from a serious illness or nearing the end of life, the ethical challenges become even more complex. Some of these challenges include:
- How should healthcare decisions be made for these children?
- Who should make these decisions?
- How is the best interest of these children determined?
- Who can best advocate for children's rights?
- When treatment involves life-sustaining therapies (LST), is preserving life more important than ensuring quality of life?
- Who has the authority to transition from therapeutic or life-sustaining interventions to palliative care?
To address these challenges, nursing associations in various countries have developed ethical charters. However, no universal consensus or definitive solutions exist for navigating these complex clinical situations. Consulting experts across different fields and developing comprehensive professional ethics codes can serve as valuable guidance for pediatric nurses making ethical decisions in cases of serious illness.
Milad Kazemi Najm, Tahereh Toulabi, Abbas Abbaszadeh, Rasoul Mohammadi, Nasrin Imanifar,
Volume 17, Issue 0 (12-2024)
Abstract
Nurses, as the largest group of healthcare workers globally, are responsible for providing holistic care to patients. Holistic care encompasses physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions. This study aimed to determine the effect of professional ethics training on the spiritual care competence of emergency nurses. This two-group field trial study with a pre-test and post-test design was conducted with 84 nurses working in the emergency departments of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling. The intervention group participated in four workshops. The study tool was the Spiritual Care Competency Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS, employing descriptive statistics (mean, median, and percentage) and inferential statistical tests, including repeated measures ANOVA, independent t-tests, and Fisher’s exact test.
The study included two groups: intervention (n = 42) and control (n = 42). Most participants in both groups were women. A significant difference was observed in the average total spiritual care competence scores and its dimensions (excluding the self-knowledge subscale) over different time points in the intervention group (P < 0.001). However, for the self-knowledge subscale, no significant difference was found in the average scores between the control and intervention groups at different time points. The results of this study demonstrated that professional ethics training improves nurses' spiritual care competence. By conducting workshops, training programs, and in-service courses on professional ethics and spiritual care, the quality of nursing care can be enhanced, ultimately improving patient safety. It is recommended that healthcare policymakers and nursing managers prioritize professional ethics as the foundation of all nursing practices. Employing innovative and engaging methods, such as the scenario-based approach used in this study, can further support the development of professional ethics in nursing.
Shahrbanoo Salehin,
Volume 17, Issue 1 (3-2024)
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency that has challenged many ethical issues. This study aimed to investigate the challenges and considerations of midwifery professional ethics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing qualitative content analysis, raw data were collected through an extensive literature review, utilizing purposive sampling until data saturation was achieved. Data trustworthiness was ensured based on Lincoln and Guba's criteria and data were analyzed using an inductive method. A total of 4 themes and 17 main categories were extracted. The themes and categories included: 1. Ethical challenges in deciding on midwifery care and place of delivery (ethical challenges of home birth, ethical challenges of hospital delivery, facing ethical challenges), 2. Clinical ethical principles (beneficence, equitable distribution and justice, solidarity, trust, duty to care), 3. Ethical principles in management (equal concern and respect, minimizing harm caused by the pandemic, inter-sectoral cooperation, evidence-based decision-making), 4. Support for midwives' rights (psychological support for midwives, gender considerations among midwives, midwifery training, workplace health, support policies). Midwives encounter various ethical challenges in pandemics. Thus, developing an ethical framework for decision-making in pandemics can help address these challenges.
Mostafa Roshanzadeh, Ali Taj, Somayeh Mohammadi,
Volume 17, Issue 1 (3-2024)
Abstract
In the current health system conditions, the strategies adopted by nursing managers in their ethical decision-making can lead to different results for patients, nurses, and health systems. Therefore, the present study aimed to explain ethical decision-making strategies implemented by nursing managers. The present study was conducted using qualitative content analysis in 2022 at Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. A total of 18 nursing managers were selected through purposive sampling and were interviewed using in-depth unstructured individual interviews. Data were analyzed using the method proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. The results revealed one main category (human-centeredness) and three subcategories (customer-centeredness, valuing employees’ dignity, and the conflict between respecting the rights of patients and employees and adhering to organizational policies). Nursing managers attempted to make their ethical decisions based on the principle of humanism by using customer-centeredness strategies, valuing employees’ dignity, and prioritizing the rights of individuals and employees over organizational rules. The results of the present study showed nursing managers make decisions in line with respecting the rights of patients and employees. However, sometimes these decisions conflict with the interests of organizations. In this regard, the existing obstacles that create the conditions for such conflicts should be identified. Increasing organizational commitment in managers can also be effective in decisions that benefit different groups of customers, personnel, and health organizations.
Sooreh Khaki, Masoud Fallahi -Khoshknab, Farahnaz Mohammadi-Shahboulaghi, Gülbeyaz Can, Mohammad Ali Hosseini,
Volume 17, Issue 1 (3-2024)
Abstract
Conveying bad news to patients and their families is a process that requires team collaboration. Different countries have taken into consideration providing suitable solutions. This study aimed to develop an practical guideline, according to the experiences of patients, families, and healthcare providers in intensive care units across three phases. In the first phase, in-depth interviews were conducted with 31 participants selected through purposive sampling, and the initial draft of the practical guideline was created. In the second phase, the initial draft was discussed and reviewed by experts in two focus group meetings, and a secondary draft was developed. In the third phase, the practical guideline compiled by the Delphi method was validated by 43 experts in policymaking and decision-making. Finally, an practical guideline to deliver bad news to patients and their families was developed with 8 main steps and 43 sub-steps. The main steps included before delivering bad news (assessment, planning and preparation, coordination), during delivering bad news (announcing bad news, emotional support, summary and documentation), and after delivering bad news (referral, follow-up). This practical guideline is intended to facilitate the process of delivering bad news in intensive care units to achieve the desired outcomes and reduce the resulting consequences and harms. Accordingly, healthcare providers are recommended to consider the importance of patient and family preferences, adhering to scientific and standard methods for delivering bad news, and upholding the principles of professional ethics.
Samira Orujlu, Arezoo Ghavi, Leila Valizadeh, Vahid Zamanzadeh, Sadat Seyed Bagher Maddah, Parvaneh Aghajari,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Improving the quality of nursing services and enhancing ethical decision-making in clinical settings require greater attention to professional ethics. This study aimed to review and synthesize existing research on professional ethics in nursing in Iran, to organize, plan, and establish knowledge- and evidence-based decision-making, and also provide strategies for ethics-centered nursing in Iran. Iranian studies on ethics were reviewed without time limitations until June 22, 2023. Database search was conducted using keywords including "Nurse", "Nursing", "Ethics", "Professional ethics", "Nursing Care", "Codes of Ethics", "Patient Rights", "Conscience", and "Iran", as well as their Persian equivalents, combined with "AND" or "OR" operators. The included studies were analyzed utilizing the five-stage integrative review method proposed by Whittemore and Knafl. A total of 103 Persian and 59 English articles were reviewed. The results were organized into two main categories: achievements of professional ethics (encompassing knowledge, attitudes, and professional performance of nurses; nurses’ experiences with ethical care; positive outcomes of professional nursing ethics education; and the convergence of spiritual health with adherence to professional ethics and the need for an Islamic approach) and factors influencing ethical performance (including facilitators of ethical performance and barriers to adherence to professional ethics). Based on the findings, it is recommended that nursing care protocols and standards be developed, and various educational programs be conducted, including those on ethical care in emergencies and disasters, emotional and spiritual intelligence, training for clinical nursing managers, and the application of creative strategies for teaching clinical professional ethics.
Davood Rasouli, Elham Ramezanpour, Sohrab Nosrati, Akram Zhianifard, Zahra Nouri Khaneghah,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Professional ethics, as a critical aspect of medical ethics, holds significant importance in healthcare professions that directly involve human lives. Accordingly, this study aimed to compare adherence to professional ethics principles among operating room (OR) students and staff in selected teaching hospitals affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences during 2021–2022. This cross-sectional descriptive study included 200 OR staff from six hospitals (selected via stratified quota sampling) and 60 OR students (recruited via convenience sampling). Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and Kadushin’s Professional Ethics Questionnaire (2002) and analyzed in SPSS-24 using descriptive statistics (median and interquartile range) and inferential tests (Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests). Results indicated strong professional ethics in 98.4% of students and 75% of staff. Students scored significantly higher in loyalty and accountability (median score, P < 0.0001), while staff outperformed in honesty (median score, P = 0.003). No significant differences were observed in other dimensions. Overall, both groups demonstrated favorable professional ethics. These findings can guide educational interventions and developmental programs to further enhance professional ethics in these populations.
Roya Malekzadeh, Nahid Nickzad Ghadikolaei, Maryam Khazaei-Poul,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Adherence to ethical principles in medical universities, which play a vital role in training the next generation of healthcare professionals, is of significant importance. These principles can serve as a guide to achieving educational goals and improving performance in various academic fields. This study aimed to explain the components of ethics in education at the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. The study was conducted in 2023 using a qualitative Hybrid Thematic Analysis approach. Participants included 17 educational managers, faculty members, and students from the university. The study was carried out in three phases: a comprehensive literature review, interviews with experts, and the formation of a specialized panel. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using purposive and snowball sampling, and the process continued until data saturation was achieved. The interviews were transcribed, coded, classified, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis revealed eight main themes, including ethics, justice, responsibility, duty, respect for others, adherence to dress codes, accountability, and spiritual health, along with 55 subthemes. Focusing on ethical components can enhance transparency, create a fair educational environment, strengthen responsibility among faculty members and students, and improve the quality of learning, thereby playing a crucial role in fostering interactions between professors and students. Adhering to ethical components in academic education not only requires understanding ethical concepts but must also align with appropriate implementation mechanisms. Therefore, organizing training workshops to raise awareness among faculty members, students, and staff, and incorporating ethical indicators into recruitment and promotion processes for faculty members are recommended.
Akram Heidari, Morteza Heidari, Baqer Larijani, Professor Ali Mohammad Mosadeqrad,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Spiritual health refers to having purpose and meaning in life and a sense of belonging to something beyond the self, which strengthens inner peace, satisfaction, and happiness. This qualitative study was conducted in 2024 using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Through semi-structured interviews with 47 policymakers, managers, faculty members, staff, and students, a total of 183 benefits of spiritual health education in universities of medical sciences were identified. These benefits were categorized into six groups: benefits for faculty members, students, staff, patients, society, and the university. For faculty members, spirituality education leads to enhanced ethical awareness, increased motivation, job satisfaction, professional commitment, and improved quality of education. Students, by strengthening spirituality, gain greater communication and empathy skills, experience reduced stress and anxiety, and demonstrate improved professional competencies. Healthcare staff benefit from reduced medical errors, increased resilience, improved social relationships, and enhanced quality of care. Patients receiving spiritual care experience lower levels of stress and depression, improved mental health and quality of life, and a more rapid course of treatment and recovery. At the societal level, spiritual health education contributes to more positive social behaviors and the development of a healthier community. Furthermore, universities implementing such education can design more comprehensive curricula, promote interdisciplinary research, strengthen professional ethics, and train holistically oriented healthcare professionals, thereby increasing their credibility and productivity. Spiritual health education in Iranian universities of medical sciences, by exerting positive effects on faculty members, students, staff, patients, society, and the university itself, results in the improvement of psychological and professional well-being, the enhancement of educational quality, and the increased productivity and credibility of the higher education health system of the country.
