Professional and ethical values in Nursing practice: An Indian Perspective

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Ethics
• Professional Values

Background:

• Understanding nurses' perspectives on professional and ethical values is crucial for healthcare quality.
• Assessing these values informs professional development and ethical practice standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine nurses' perspectives on professional and ethical values within their practice.
• To evaluate the importance placed on different domains of professional values by nurses.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 124 nurses at a tertiary care hospital in South India.
• The Nursing Professional Values Scale (NPVS-3), comprising 28 items across Caring, Activism, and Professionalism domains, was utilized.
• Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and Pearson correlational analysis.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported high overall professional values (mean score 121.07±15.32).
• The highest mean scores were observed in the Caring domain, followed by Activism and Professionalism.
• Nurses with less experience exhibited significantly higher mean professional values scores compared to those with more experience (p<0.01).

Conclusions:

• Nurses possess high professional and ethical values, with a strong emphasis on direct patient care.
• Continuing education should highlight the significance of non-clinical professional values for the nursing profession.
• Further research may explore factors influencing the perception of professional values across different experience levels.