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Organizational ethics in Finnish intensive care units: staff perceptions
Helena Leino-Kilpi1, Tarja Suominen, Merja Mäkelä
1Department of Nursing, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland. heleiki@utu.fi
Nursing Ethics
|April 12, 2002
Summary
Finnish intensive care nurses face ethical challenges influenced by organizational factors. While they can discuss issues, financial concerns are a significant negative aspect impacting patient care quality.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Healthcare Management
- Nursing Studies
Background:
- Ethical challenges are prevalent in intensive care units (ICUs).
- Organizational factors significantly influence the ethical environment of healthcare professionals.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for improving healthcare quality and staff motivation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and describe ethical problems in Finnish ICUs.
- To analyze the impact of organizational factors on intensive care nurses' work.
- To provide insights for enhancing nurses' work motivation and patient care quality.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study utilizing the Ethics Environmental Questionnaire (EEQ).
- Data collected from 1047 Finnish intensive care nurses across 35 hospital ICUs.
- Statistical analysis performed using SAS-6 software, with reliability assessed by Cronbach's alpha (0.87).
Main Results:
- Organizational factors in Finnish ICUs present both positive and negative dimensions.
- Nurses reported opportunities to discuss ethical problems within their work units.
- A significant negative finding was the concern among nurses regarding financial remuneration.
Conclusions:
- Nurses' work in Finnish ICUs is ethically demanding, mirroring international trends.
- Organizational factors, including financial concerns, impact the ethical landscape of ICUs.
- Findings support the international applicability of research on ethical challenges in intensive care.