Psychiatric nurses with high moral sensitivity responding to ethical issues

Abstract

This study aims to identify how psychiatric nurses with high moral sensitivity are able to perceive ethical issues, and how they make decisions and respond to ethical issues. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine nurses working in a psychiatric hospital, and qualitative inductive analysis identified 248 codes, 32 subcategories, and 11 categories. The participants felt discomfort when there was a lack of patient respect, and this made them realize that it was an ethical issue. Next, the participants clarified the various values in patients and healthcare professionals, and understood that establishing relationships of mutual trust was the basis of treatment when deciding how to respond to ethical issues. The participants responded to ethical issues based on a caring relationship between patients and nurses. The findings show new perspectives in responding to ethical issues in psychiatry.