[Ethical behavior of nurses in university hospitals]

The aims of this study were to analyse the conception of ethics in the nurse's speech and practice, to verify its influence on nurses formation, and to investigate the nurses views regarding to the contribution of ethics to the comprehension of the moral reality and to the critical analysis of the nursing practice. The methodology focused on the qualitative analyses of data collected through the techniques of: document collection and analysis, group interviews, and observations of the nurses ethical behaviour during their practice. According to he results, the nurses conception of ethics relates in satisfaction to their work, to professional discrimination, and to corporate issues of health team. No reference was made to citizenship concerns. There is also a setting away from ethics understanding while moral behaviour and a critical view of the profession and of health care.