This study aimed to clarify the approaches Certified Nurse Specialist in Gerontological Nursing (GCNSs) took in assessing and cultivating ethical sensitivity among nurses. Qualitative content analysis techniques were used to analyze the responses from conducting semi-structured interviews with eight GCNSs. Considerations for assessing ethical sensitivity were classified into eight categories, including whether nurses routinely protect patients’ dignity and continually consider what is best for patients, among others. The approaches to cultivating ethical sensitivity were classified into six categories, including showing the significance of continuously exploring the patient’s personality and true intentions, coordinating multidisciplinary discussions on “what is best for the patient,” and creating an environment where nurses feel approved, among others.

Regarding assessing ethical sensitivity, GCNS emphasized the importance of evaluating it from the perspective of everyday ethics. This includes determining whether the patient’s dignity is being protected in daily care and whether the patient can pause and consider what is best for them. Additionally, GCNS create a psychologically safe environment to promote dialogue among multiple professions to continuously explore older patient’s true intentions.

This study aimed to determine the knowledge and practices of nurses’ coordination in critical care nursing. A web-based survey was conducted with nurses working in intensive care units. The study included personal attributes, the work environment, and the perception and care of coordination. The results showed shortfalls in the knowledge of and practices in the following: coordination among health care providers; coordination of time in dealing with patients and family care; and coordination of the environment of places and spaces. When the perceptions and practice of coordination were compared between certified nurse specialists/certified nurses and nurses, there was a significant difference in one item of recognition (coordination to deal with patients and families in the critical care) and five items of practice (coordination to facilitate smooth progression of treatment, coordination to deal with patients and families in the critical care, carrying into the end of life, and coordination to create a special environment from the end of life to the end of life) with significant differences in the five items. In the free text, the following difficulties were extracted: 1) challenges and collaboration for discharge coordination starting from the critical care and 2) difficulties in coordination arising from human factors. Nurses were aware of what should be coordinated in critical care nursing but had difficulty with implementation.