KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF NURSING ETHICS AMONG STUDENT NURSES IN JOSEPH AYO BABALOLA UNIVERSITY IKEJI ARA-KEJI OSUN STATE, NIGERIA.
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Nursing ethics involves the moral principles, values, and standards that guide the practice of nursing professionals in their interactions with patients, families, colleagues, and the broader healthcare community. It embraces a range of ethical considerations, including confidentiality, honesty, and integrity. Adhering to ethical principles is essential for ensuring high-quality patient care, maintaining professional integrity, and upholding public trust in the nursing profession. This study is thus aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of nursing ethics among student nurses in Joseph Ayo Babalola University. A cross-sectional descriptive study was employed. A total number of 144 respondents were selected for the study using convenience sampling technique, data was collected using researcher developed questionnaire. The study revealed that majority of the respondents (53.1%) had good knowledge of nursing ethics, 34.3% had excellent knowledge. Majority of the respondents (88.7%) agreed nursing ethics play a significant role in patient care. A large percentage of respondents (99.3%) agreed that adherence to ethical principles is important in the nursing profession although the degree of importance varied. Most of the respondents (82.7%) agreed they consistently apply nursing ethic principles in patients care. A test of the hypothesis revealed a significant relationship between the knowledge of nursing ethics and adherence to ethical principle. Findings from this study shows that majority of the student nurses at Joseph Ayo Babalola University had good understanding of nursing ethics and practiced these ethical principles during their clinical practice. However, a minority of the respondents held less favourable perceptions towards nursing ethics. Their negative perception was influenced by various factors, such as negative experiences in clinical settings and personal beliefs that conflict with ethical principles. It is recommended that educational interventions should focus on enhancing students' understanding of nursing ethics, fostering critical thinking skills, and promoting ethical decision-making abilities.
Keywords: Ethics, Knowledge, Nursing, Nurses, Practices, Students.
Word Count: 297
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