Differences in moral judgment between nursing students and qualified nurses

Nurs Ethics. 2007 May;14(3):309-19. doi: 10.1177/0969733007075865.

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined how nursing students' moral judgment changes after they become qualified nurses working in a hospital environment. The sample used was a group of 80 nursing students attending a university in Suwon, Korea, between 2001 and 2003. By using a Korean version of the Judgment About Nursing Decisions questionnaire, an instrument used in nursing care research, moral judgment scores based on Ketefian's six nursing dilemmas were determined. The results were as follows: (1) the qualified nurses had significantly higher idealistic moral judgment scores than the nursing students; (2) the qualified nurses showed significantly higher realistic moral judgment scores than the nursing students; and (3) when comparing idealistic and realistic moral judgment scores, both the qualified nurses and the nursing students had higher scores for idealistic moral judgment. Further study is recommended to examine changes in moral judgment.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Clinical Competence
  • Curriculum
  • Decision Making
  • Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate
  • Ethics, Nursing / education
  • Health Facility Environment / organization & administration
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Humans
  • Judgment* / ethics
  • Korea
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Moral Development*
  • Nursing Assessment
  • Nursing Methodology Research
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / education
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / ethics
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / psychology
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / statistics & numerical data*
  • Organizational Culture
  • Self Efficacy
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Students, Nursing / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires