Moral Sensitivity and Emotional Intelligence in Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Clinical Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Moral sensitivity is crucial for nurses navigating ethical dilemmas in intensive care units (ICUs).
• Emotional intelligence (EI) is theoretically linked to moral sensitivity, but its empirical role requires clarification.
• ICU nurses face frequent moral challenges, necessitating an understanding of factors influencing their ethical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the level of moral sensitivity among ICU nurses.
• To determine the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and moral sensitivity in this population.
• To provide empirical evidence on the influence of EI on nurses' ethical responsiveness.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with 467 ICU nurses across ten hospitals in Hunan Province, China.
• Participants completed the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised Version into Chinese (MSQ-R-CV) and the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale-Version into Chinese (WLEIS-C).
• Sociodemographic data were collected via a self-report questionnaire.

Main Results:

• The average moral sensitivity score for ICU nurses was 39.41 ± 7.21, indicating medium levels.
• A significant positive correlation was found between emotional intelligence (EI) scores and moral sensitivity scores (p < 0.001).
• Emotional intelligence emerged as a significant factor influencing the moral sensitivity of ICU nurses.

Conclusions:

• ICU nurses demonstrate moderate moral sensitivity, suggesting areas for potential development.
• Emotional intelligence plays a significant role in enhancing the moral sensitivity of ICU nurses.
• Further research should explore specific EI components to optimize interventions for improving nurses' ethical decision-making.