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Nurses' moral strength: a hermeneutic inquiry in nursing practice
Inga-Britt Lindh1, Elisabeth Severinsson, Agneta Berg
1Department of Health Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stavanger, Norway. inga-britt.lindh@hkr.se
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|August 22, 2009
Summary
Nurses demonstrate moral strength through courage, attentiveness, and resilience in patient care. Recognizing this strength is vital for enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Ethics
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Moral strength is recognized for its positive impact on patient care quality.
- Limited research exists on the specific meaning of moral strength in nursing practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To interpret nurses' lived experiences of moral strength in their professional practice.
- To explore the multifaceted nature of moral strength within the healthcare context.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving eight Registered Nurses in southern Sweden.
- Individual interviews conducted between 2006 and 2007.
- Hermeneutic interpretation of transcribed interviews.
Main Results:
- Three core themes emerged: courage to act on convictions (action level), attentiveness and recognizing vulnerability (relational level), and facing the unpredictable (existential level).
- Moral strength was perceived as a key motivator for nurses to provide exceptional patient care and make a significant difference.
Conclusions:
- The importance of nurses' moral strength in patient care warrants greater recognition.
- Professional and institutional factors influencing the work environment require attention.
- Clinical team supervision can illuminate and support these influential processes.
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