Enhancing the moral courage of nurses: A modified Delphi study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Ethics
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Moral courage is crucial in clinical nursing practice.
• There is a significant lack of formal intervention plans to enhance nurses' moral courage.
• Developing such interventions is essential for patient care and ethical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive training program aimed at improving moral courage in nurses.
• To create an evidence-based intervention through a structured consensus-building process.
• To provide a framework for enhancing ethical decision-making and resilience in nursing.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi study methodology was employed.
• A preliminary training plan framework was developed through literature review and expert discussions.
• Two rounds of online Delphi surveys were conducted with experts to reach consensus on the program's content and structure.

Main Results:

• Consensus was achieved on eight core themes essential for the training program.
• A total of 33 specific items were identified and agreed upon to strengthen the program.
• The developed intervention plan is multi-level and considered acceptable by experts.

Conclusions:

• A unified goal of moral education guided the design of the intervention.
• The study successfully designed an acceptable, multi-level intervention plan to enhance nurses' moral courage.
• This program provides a valuable resource for nursing education and ethical practice development.