Ethical sensitivity, job satisfaction and related factors of the nurses working in different areas

Headnote

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Defined as the ability to recognize an ethical problem, "ethical sensitivity" is closely related to nurses' professional experience and job satisfaction.

Purpose: To determine the ethical sensitivity, job satisfaction and related factors of nurses working in different areas.

Materials and methods: This research was a descriptive study. Participants were 160 nurses working at Samsun Ondokuz Mayis University, Health Application and Research Center in Samsun, Turkey. The permission of institution and Medical Research Ethics Committee approval were obtained. After getting permission from the top management of hospitals, information about the study was given to nurses. Those willing to participate were informed that participation was voluntary and invited to give written consent before data collection. For data collection purposes, the researchers used Personal Information Form, Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire, and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Results: In our study 70.6% of the nurses stated that they chose the profession willingly, 48.8% had 1-5 years of professional experience, and 45% stated that they had ethical problems in their professional life. Total score of nurses in the ethical sensitivity and job satisfaction scales was found to be at moderate level. Job satisfaction of single nurses that were in the 40 and over age group that performing their duties willingly was found to be statistically significantly higher than other groups (p <0.05).

Conclusion: There was no relationship between nurses' total score averages of job satisfaction and total score averages of ethical sensitivity.

Key words: nursing, ethical sensitivity, job satisfaction

INTRODUCTION

Ethics is defined as a set of moral principles or values which regulate the behavior of an individual or an occupation. Ethics describes the values as morally good or bad or right or wrong by researching these values underlying the relationships between people and also presents the required moral values for science and technology not to damage the society [1]. That the development in science and technology revealed a variety of value problems increased the importance of ethics in the health field. Because the healthcare services are directly related to human life and health, it contributes to the shortening of healing process when the ones working in this field behave the individuals properly [2,3].

Ethical problems can occur in cases where decisions are made for professional action in health...