Trends in East Asian nurses recognizing ethical behavioral practices

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Ethics

Background:

• Nurses face challenges in autonomous decision-making and high-level care implementation.
• A gap often exists between nursing decision-making and its practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify trends in ethical behavior recognition among nursing professionals.
• To investigate factors influencing ethical practice in nursing.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 3467 nursing professionals across 34 Japanese hospitals.
• The Ode's Ethical Behavior Scale for Nurses was utilized to assess ethical conduct.
• Basic attributes and their relationship with ethical behavior were examined.

Main Results:

• Midwives and nurses reported higher ethical behavior scores compared to licensed practical nurses.
• Significant differences in "justice" subscale scores were observed between experience groups (low/high vs. mid-level).
• Ethics education, training, and conference participation correlated with higher ethical behavior scores.

Conclusions:

• Nursing professionals who recognize their ethical practice are often midwives or nurses with extensive experience.
• Continuous professional development in ethics (education, training, conferences) is linked to enhanced ethical behavior.
• Experience levels and specific roles influence perceptions and practice of ethical nursing care.