The Relationship Between Nurses’ Ethical Reasoning with the Quality of Nursing Care

CONTEXT: A high quality of nursing care is an important priority of nursing profession and directly associated with increased patient satisfaction. Evidence shows that ethical professional issues are challenging with significant influences on the quality of nursing care. AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine how quality of patient care relates to the nurses’ ethical reasoning as viewed by patients in medical wards. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This study used a descriptive correlational design. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data collection tools included a Nursing Dilemma Test and Quality Patient Care Scale. In total, 180 hospitalized patients and 180 nurses who worked in medical wards of Hospitals in 2017 were enrolled. Sample selection was done by the census method. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 22. RESULTS: The means score for nurses’ quality care was 91.71 ± 14.81. Furthermore, the mean score for ethical reasoning among nurses was at an average level of 45.07 ± 6.12. There was no significant relationship between the quality of care and nurse’s ethical reasoning (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that factors other than ethical reasoning of nurses are related to quality of care. Furthermore, nurses showed an average ability in ethical reasoning. So to improve this situation, healthcare system administrators can offer professional training programs to increase ethical sensitivity and reasoning among the nurses who face daily ethical issues.