The development and validation of the Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire for Nursing Students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Bioethics
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Increasingly complex healthcare environments necessitate robust ethical preparation for nursing students.
• Ethical sensitivity is crucial for effective ethical decision-making in nursing practice.
• A validated instrument to measure ethical sensitivity in nursing students was previously unavailable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire for Nursing Students (ESQ-NS).
• To provide a reliable tool for assessing nursing students' ethical sensitivity.
• To support the evaluation of nursing ethics education.

Main Methods:

• The ESQ-NS was developed through literature review, expert interviews, and pilot testing.
• Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the questionnaire's structure.
• Reliability and validity were assessed using Cronbach's alpha, correlation analyses with established scales (JMST, JMSQ), and test-retest reliability.

Main Results:

• The final ESQ-NS comprises 13 items across three factors: 'respect for individuals,' 'distributive justice,' and 'maintaining patients' confidentiality.'
• The ESQ-NS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.82) and reliability (r=0.42).
• The scale showed significant associations with related constructs in established moral sensitivity measures.

Conclusions:

• The ESQ-NS is a valid, reliable, and internally consistent instrument for evaluating nursing students' ethical sensitivity.
• This questionnaire serves as a valuable tool for self-assessment in nursing ethics education.
• The ESQ-NS can aid in identifying areas for improvement in nursing students' ethical preparedness.