Ethical challenges of novice nurses in clinical practice: Iranian perspective

The aim of this study was to identify the ethical challenges of novice nurses in the first year of clinical practice.

Novice nurses experience a lot of ethical complications in the clinical workplace, especially in the first year of clinical practice. These ethical challenges are scarcely studied.

Current research was a descriptive qualitative study conducted on twelve novice nurses in educational hospitals affiliated to Arak University of Medical Sciences (from August to December 2018)in Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Data were analysed using content analysis.

A total of 12 nurses participated, the majority of whom were female (8; 66.6%), and their average age was 23.6 years. Findings of this study revealed four main themes: patient: the forgotten part, exposure to inequalities, inattention to professional ethics and facing a state of quandary. Several sub-themes also appeared in this study.

These findings can reveal a clear picture of the ethical challenges of novice nurses in Iran. They can be used as a guidance for managers, authorities and nursing stakeholders in order to protect and support these nurses. Further research on each concept is suggested.

These findings can be used to inform nursing education, research, management and clinical practice. Meanwhile, the results of this study may be used to formulate a strategy for training nursing managers in order to protect and support the next generation of nurses.