Nurses’ Strategies for Conscience-based Care Delivery: A Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION: Conscience is the core of ethical values. It helps nurses protect patients’ rights and provide quality dignified care. Therefore, assessing nurses’ strategies for conscience-based care may help facilitate conscience-based care delivery. AIM: This study aimed to explore nurses’ strategies for conscience-based care delivery. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted in 2018 on twelve hospital nurses purposively recruited from four teaching hospitals in Urmia, Iran. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and inductively analyzed through conventional content analysis. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Urmia University of Medical Sciences. All the participants were informed of the aim of the study and a written consent was obtained from each of them. Participation in the study was entirely voluntary and the participants could withdraw at any stage of the study. RESULTS: Participants’ strategies for conscience-based care delivery were grouped into two main themes, namely self-empowerment for clinical role performance and attempt to deliver care beyond the routines. CONCLUSION: Clinical self-empowerment and attempt to deliver care beyond the routines are nurses’ main psychosocial strategies for conscience-based care delivery. Mentorship programs are recommended for the development of nurses’ time management and clinical skills and thereby, empower them for conscience-based care delivery. Moreover, continuing education programs and curricular revisions are recommended to strengthen their religious beliefs.