A study of nurses’ ethical climate perceptions

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Humphries ◽  
Martin Woods
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Ethical Climate ◽  
Moral Distress ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Patient Throughput ◽  
Staffing Levels ◽  
Ethical Climates ◽  
The Impact

Background: Acting ethically, in accordance with professional and personal moral values, lies at the heart of nursing practice. However, contextual factors, or obstacles within the work environment, can constrain nurses in their ethical practice – hence the importance of the workplace ethical climate. Interest in nurse workplace ethical climates has snowballed in recent years because the ethical climate has emerged as a key variable in the experience of nurse moral distress. Significantly, this study appears to be the first of its kind carried out in New Zealand. Aim/objective: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how registered nurses working on a medical ward in a New Zealand hospital perceive their workplace ethical climate. Research design/participants/context: This was a small, qualitative descriptive study. Seven registered nurses were interviewed in two focus group meetings. An inductive method of thematic data analysis was used for this research. Ethical considerations: Ethics approval for this study was granted by the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s Central Regional Health and Disability Ethics Committee on 14 June 2012. Findings: The themes identified in the data centred on three dominant elements that – together – shaped the prevailing ethical climate: staffing levels, patient throughput and the attitude of some managers towards nursing staff. Discussion: While findings from this study regarding staffing levels and the power dynamics between nurses and managers support those from other ethical climate studies, of note is the impact of patient throughput on local nurses’ ethical practice. This issue has not been singled out as having a detrimental influence on ethical climates elsewhere. Conclusion: Moral distress is inevitable in an ethical climate where the organisation’s main priorities are perceived by nursing staff to be budget and patient throughput, rather than patient safety and care.

scholarly journals Antecedents of organizational commitment of insurance agents: Job satisfaction, ethical behavior, and ethical climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-149
Author(s):  
Weihui Fu ◽  
Feng He ◽  
Na Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Ethical Behavior ◽  
Ethical Climate ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
The Other ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Insurance Agents ◽  
Ethical Climates ◽  
The Impact

This research explored the impact of job satisfaction, the ethical behavior of coworkers, successful managers, and employees themselves. Also explored were six types of ethical climate on organizational commitment and its three dimensions, including affective, continuance, and normative commitment through an investigation on 476 Chinese insurance agents. The empirical results showed that ethical behavior of coworkers and a caring climate had a significantly positive impact on both organizational commitment and its three dimensions, while independence climate had no significant influence on overall organizational commitment or its three dimensions. Job satisfaction, ethical behavior of successful managers and employees themselves, and the other five types of ethical climates only had a significant impact on organizational commitment or some of its dimensions.

Experiences of nursing in older care facilities in New Zealand

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Carryer ◽  
Chiquita O. Hansen ◽  
Judy A. Blakey
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Older People ◽  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Nursing Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Care For Older People

To examine issues related to the working life of registered nurses in residential care for older people in New Zealand, 48 registered nurses completed surveys (n = 28) or participated in discussions (n = 26) regarding their work roles, continuing education and interactions with specialist nurse services when providing care for older people living with chronic illnesses. This nursing workforce is characterised by ageing, relative isolation, reduced confidence and few opportunities for induction of new graduates. Registered nurses reported their struggle to deliver the appropriate quality of care to residents as acuity increases, general practitioner availability decreases and the opportunities for increasing their knowledge and competence remain limited. The provision of nursing services in residential care for older people is an area of growing concern to many Western countries. Nurse practitioners offer opportunities to improve the quality of residential care. What is known about the topic?The lack of registered nurses generally and the more critical shortage in residential care is well known. What does this paper add?This paper explains the impact on the current and future viability and the quality of registered nurse services in an area of service where acuity continues to rise and the demand for nursing services is increasing. What are the implications for practitioners?Nurses in older care settings often express a sense of isolation and note limited career development despite their passion for serving the frail older person. The establishment of nurse practitioner (gerontology) roles offers the potential for improved quality of clinical care for residents and clinical champions for development of nursing services.

The trouble with secrets: pay secrecy, satisfaction and climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-357
Author(s):  
Nathan Robert Neale
Keyword(s):  
Direct Effect ◽  
Ethical Climate ◽  
Pay Satisfaction ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Climates ◽  
Pay Secrecy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeResearch addressing the impact of tacit and explicit pay secrecy policies on organizational climates is fairly limited. While researchers desire to explain the impact of such policies on individuals' pay satisfaction, a direct effect has not been supported. This study seeks to better explain how these policies are related to ethical climates and pay satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on ethical climate theory to show the influence of ethical climate types on job satisfaction and a moderating effect of explicit and tacit pay secrecy policies on this relationship. This is accomplished through designing this study by using existing scales from the literature in a survey methodology. A pilot study of 246 undergraduate students was used to validate the measures. Then, a sample of 217 adults was obtained to test the proposed relationships. Linear regression is employed to analyze the data and to test the existence of direct and moderating effects.FindingsThe five empirically tested ethical climates each have a direct effect on pay satisfaction. Explicit pay secrecy policies has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between rules, law and code ethical climates, and pay satisfaction. Tacit pay secrecy policies moderate the relationship between caring, rules, law and code, and independence ethical climates and pay satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings strengthen the literature by demonstrating a stronger relationship between ethical climates and pay satisfaction. While some of the moderating effects were significant, others were not. This was surprising, but present avenues to further test ethical climate theory and the impact of pay secrecy policies.Practical implicationsThis study presents practical implications for managers. Understanding how these policies may be viewed differently, depending on the type of climate that is experienced within an organization may help managers evaluate using them. Trying to protect employees or the organization itself by enacting these polices may backfire and create additional problems. Managers may want to evaluate the manner that they communicate these polices through formal or informal means, depending on the type of climate experienced within the workplace.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine the influence of explicit and tacit pay secrecy policies on the relationship between ethical climates and employees' satisfaction with pay. It leads to a number of directions for further research that may continue to build upon this study in order to further advance scholarly understanding of the importance of ethical climates and pay secrecy policies.

Registered Nurses’ Perceptions of Moral Distress and Ethical Climate

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 561-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Pauly ◽  
Colleen Varcoe ◽  
Janet Storch ◽  
Lorelei Newton
Keyword(s):  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Ethical Climate ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Moral Distress ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Nurses Perceptions ◽  
Distress Scale ◽  
Practice Education

Moral distress is a phenomenon of increasing concern in nursing practice, education and research. Previous research has suggested that moral distress is associated with perceptions of ethical climate, which has implications for nursing practice and patient outcomes. In this study, a randomly selected sample of registered nurses was surveyed using Corley’s Moral Distress Scale and Olson’s Hospital Ethical Climate Survey (HECS). The registered nurses reported moderate levels of moral distress intensity. Moral distress intensity and frequency were found to be inversely correlated with perceptions of ethical climate. Each of the HECS factors (peers, patients, managers, hospitals and physicians) was found to be significantly correlated with moral distress. Based on these findings, we highlight insights for practice and future research that are needed to enhance the development of strategies aimed at improving the ethical climate of nurses’ workplaces for the benefit of both nurses and patients.

scholarly journals The Power of Synergy: An Academic/Clinical Partnership for Transformational Change

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann McKillop ◽  
Cheryl Atherfold ◽  
Gary Lees
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Health Board ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
The Impact

Background. A programme of postgraduate study was developed in partnership between a health board and a university in New Zealand, having identified critical thinking and practice change as key determinants of good care delivery. Aim. To explore the impact after 12 months of a postgraduate programme for registered nurses on patient assessment and clinical reasoning, and the status of implementation plans for improved patient care. Design. Outcome evaluation using a survey and focus groups. Setting. On location at a hospital in a small city in New Zealand that provides healthcare services for 102,000 people across rural and urban areas. Participants. Registered nurses who had completed the programme (N=28) and seven clinical mentors. Methods. A survey, focus groups, and follow-up data about quality improvement projects were used to explore how the programme was experienced and its impact. Results. The survey revealed perceptions of improved knowledge and skills but a lack of confidence in communicating with medical staff. Of 28 quality improvement projects planned, all but three had been implemented and were still in use. Two themes were generated from focus group data: “new ways of thinking” and “doing things differently.” Conclusions. This academic/clinical partnership positively influenced nurses’ knowledge and skills, encouraged critical thinking and self-efficacy, and resulted in the sustained implementation of nurse-initiated projects intended to improve patient care.

scholarly journals Registered nurses’ perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0251890
Author(s):  
Adel Tutuo Tamata ◽  
Masoud Mohammadnezhad ◽  
Ledua Tamani
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Moral Distress ◽  
Nursing Shortage ◽  
Family Relationship ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Nursing Workforce ◽  
Perceived Risks ◽  
Reinforcing Factors ◽  
The Impact

Background Registered nurse has a vital role in delivering healthcare services to individual, family and community. One of the main challenges that health system facing globally is the shortage of nursing workforce. Vanuatu as a Pacific county is also facing the shortage issue and the impact on the registered nurses’ performance. Methods A qualitative study was used to collect data from 25 registered nurses in three randomly selected hospitals in Vanuatu between 4th to 14th September, 2020. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data using face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis process. Results Four themes were identified including; Difficult working conditions, Reinforcing factors and Perceived risks. Sub themes for difficult working condition were heavy workload, lack of workforce and unusual working hours. Sub themes for reinforcing factors were lack of support, lack of opportunities and advancement in nursing practice. Sub themes for perceived risks were stress, physical and mental risk, and social and family risks. Conclusion This study has identify factors affected shortage of current nursing workforce and the impact it has on registered nurses. Broad themes and sub-themes were identified which highlighted the impact of nursing shortage to registered nurses and the effects on their performance which includes stress or moral distress from work overload and lengthy hours shift which impact the nurses’ physical, psychological, social, and family relationship, and lack of leadership support. The findings can be helpful to policy makers at the decision-making level to resolve the nursing workforce shortage and its effects in the future by refining and developing relevant policies that will address and strengthen the nursing workforce to meet the demand and improve delivery of quality health services to all individual.

Factors influencing retention among hospital nurses: systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 302-308
Author(s):  
Takawira C Marufu ◽  
Alexandra Collins ◽  
Liavel Vargas ◽  
Lucy Gillespie ◽  
Dalal Almghairbi
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Nursing Leadership ◽  
Hospital Nurses ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Staffing Levels ◽  
Hospital Nursing ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Workforce Strategies ◽  
The Impact

Background: Recruitment and retention of nursing staff is the biggest workforce challenge faced by healthcare institutions. Across the UK, there are currently around 50 000 nursing vacancies, and the number of people leaving the Nursing and Midwifery Council register is increasing. Objective: This review comprehensively compiled an update on factors affecting retention among hospital nursing staff. Methods: Five online databases; EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL and NICE Evidence were searched for relevant primary studies published until 31 December 2018 on retention among nurses in hospitals. Results: Forty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Nine domains influencing staff turnover were found: nursing leadership and management, education and career advancement, organisational (work) environment, staffing levels, professional issues, support at work, personal influences, demographic influences, and financial remuneration. Conclusion: Identified turnover factors are long-standing. To mitigate the impact of these factors, evaluation of current workforce strategies should be high priority.

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