Introduction: Moral sensitivity plays a crucial role in clinical decision-making and patient interactions among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. Although moral sensitivity and professional quality of life have been studied in hospital-based healthcare providers, little evidence exists regarding EMS personnel, who face unique challenges such as heavy workloads, workplace violence, and frequent ethical dilemmas in unpredictable environments. These gaps highlight the necessity of investigating the relationship between moral sensitivity and professional quality of life in this context. This study aims to examine the relationship between moral sensitivity and professional quality of life among EMS personnel.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, between March and December 2024. A total of 245 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) were recruited through a two-stage sampling process: EMS stations were first selected by cluster random sampling, and then personnel within the selected stations were enrolled using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire (MSQ) developed by Lützén et al. and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) developed by Charles Figley. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data.
Results: The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between moral sensitivity and professional quality of life (r = 0.53, p < 0.001). Additionally, moral sensitivity was positively associated with age (r = 0.48, CI [0.38–0.57], p < 0.001), educational level (r = 0.38, CI [ 0.27–0.48], p < 0.001), and work experience (r = 0.68, CI [0.61–0.74], p < 0.001). Regression analysis identified work experience and professional quality of life as significant predictors of moral sensitivity (p < 0.001). No significant relationships were found between moral sensitivity and other factors such as emergency station location, field of study, or shift work.
Conclusion: Enhancing moral sensitivity in pre-hospital emergency personnel can improve their professional quality of life and, in turn, the quality of patient care. Thus, developing educational and supportive programs to boost moral sensitivity among these personnel is recommended.
Trial registration: Not applicable.
Keywords: Cross-Sectional studies; Emergency medical technicians; Moral sensitivity; Paramedics; Quality of professional life.