Nurses' professional values: Influences of experience and ethics education

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To measure the professional values of registered nurses and determine whether these values are significantly related to postlicensure ethics education and years of experience.

Background: Nursing guilds in many countries reference the American Nurses Association's code of ethics to define expected professional nursing values. Strong professional values contribute to high-quality patient care and are influenced by complex practice environments.

Design: Causal-comparative design.

Methods: A convenience sample of actively licensed registered nurses in Washington State, United States of America, participated in an electronically administered survey (N = 2,439). Analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and correlation. Reporting utilised the STROBE checklist.

Results: Results suggested values of highest and lowest importance to nurses. Scores varied significantly based on years of nursing experience; a higher score indicated stronger orientation toward professional nursing values. Nurses with experience of 10 years or more had the highest scores. There was a modest, positive relationship between professional values and amount of time spent in postlicensure ethics education.

Conclusions: Professional values of Washington State nurses are similar to other nurses in national and global workforces. Results suggest key areas of strength in nurses' professional values and areas needing additional focus and support. Professional values are highest among nurses with longer practice experience and among nurses who have had increased ethics education.

Relevance to clinical practice: Knowledge of nurses' priority values can assist leaders and educators to identify areas of needed support among nursing staff members. Organisational commitment to support of nurses' professional values through investment in ethics education may produce positive enduring consequences, such as workplace retention and high-quality patient care. Healthcare leaders and clinical educators who promote ethics education may help to mitigate negative effects of morally challenging situations, such as moral distress and work leaving.

Keywords: codes of ethics; education; experience; moral development; nursing; professional ethics; surveys and questionnaires.