| 1. |
- Dahlqvist, Vera, et al.
(författare)
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Development of the perceptions of conscience questionnaire.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Nursing Ethics. - : SAGE Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 14:2, s. 181-193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Health care often involves ethically difficult situations that may disquiet the conscience. The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire for identifying various perceptions of conscience within a framework based on the literature and on explorative interviews about perceptions of conscience (Perceptions of Conscience Questionnaire). The questionnaire was tested on a sample of 444 registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nurses' assistants and physicians. The data were analysed using principal component analysis to explore possible dimensions of perceptions of conscience. The results showed six dimensions, found also in theory and empirical health care studies. Conscience was perceived as authority, a warning signal, demanding sensitivity, an asset, a burden and depending on culture. We conclude that the Perceptions of Conscience Questionnaire is valid for assessing some perceptions of conscience relevant to health care providers.
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| 2. |
- Fischer Grönlund, Catarina, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
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Development, validity and reliability testing the Swedish Ethical Climate Questionnaire
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nursing Ethics. - : SAGE Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 26:7-8, s. 2482-2493
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND:: An ethical climate has been described as a working climate embracing shared perceptions about morally correct behaviour concerning ethical issues. Various ethical climate questionnaires have been developed and validated for different contexts, but no questionnaire has been found concerning the ethical climate from an inter-professional perspective in a healthcare context. The Swedish Ethical Climate Questionnaire, based on Habermas' four requirements for a democratic dialogue, attempts to assess and measure the ethical climate at various inter-professional workplaces. This study aimed to present the construction of and to test the psychometric properties of the Swedish Ethical Climate Questionnaire.METHOD:: An expert group of six researchers, skilled in ethics, evaluated the content validity. The questionnaire was tested among 355 healthcare workers at three hospitals in Sweden. A parallel analysis (PA), an exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed.ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:: The participants included in the psychometric analysis were informed about the study, asked to participate in person and informed that they could withdraw at any time without giving any reason. They were also assured of confidentiality in the reporting of the results.FINDINGS:: The parallel analysis (PA) recommended one factor as a solution. The initial exploratory factor analysis with a four-factor solution showed low concordance with a four-factor model. Cronbach's alpha varied from 0.75 to 0.82; however, since two factors only consisted of one item, alpha could not be reported. Cronbach's alpha for the entire scale showed good homogeneity (α = 0.86). A confirmatory factory analysis was carried out based on the four requirements and showed a goodness-of-fit after deleting two items. After deletion of these items, Cronbach's alpha was 0.82.DISCUSSION:: Based on the exploratory factor analysis, we suggest that the scale should be treated as a one-factor model. The result indicates that the instrument is unidimensional and assesses ethical climate as a whole.CONCLUSION:: After testing the Swedish Ethical Climate Questionnaire, we found support for the validity and reliability of the instrument. We found the 10-item version of Swedish Ethical Climate Questionnaire satisfactory. However, we found no support for measuring different dimensions and, therefore, this instrument should be seen as assessing ethical climate as of whole.
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| 3. |
- Fischer Grönlund, Catarina, et al.
(författare)
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Ethically difficult situations in hemodialysis care : nurses' narratives
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nursing Ethics. - : Sage Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 22:6, s. 711-722
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Providing nursing care for patients with end-stage renal disease entails dealing with existential issues which may sometimes lead not only to ethical problems but also conflicts within the team. A previous study shows that physicians felt irresolute, torn and unconfirmed when ethical dilemmas arose.RESEARCH QUESTION: This study, conducted in the same dialysis care unit, aimed to illuminate registered nurses' experiences of being in ethically difficult situations that give rise to a troubled conscience.RESEARCH DESIGN: This study has a phenomenological hermeneutic approach.PARTICIPANTS: Narrative interviews were carried out with 10 registered nurses working in dialysis care.ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University.RESULTS: One theme, 'Calling for a deliberative dialogue', and six sub-themes emerged: 'Dealing with patients' ambiguity', 'Responding to patients' reluctance', 'Acting against patients' will', 'Acting against one's moral convictions', 'Lacking involvement with patients and relatives' and 'Being trapped in feelings of guilt'.DISCUSSION: In ethically difficult situations, the registered nurses tried, but failed, to open up a dialogue with the physicians about ethical concerns and their uncertainty. They felt alone, uncertain and sometimes had to act against their conscience.CONCLUSION: In ethical dilemmas, personal and professional integrity is at stake. Mistrusting their own moral integrity may turn professionals from moral actors into victims of circumstances. To counteract such a risk, professionals and patients need to continuously deliberate on their feelings, views and experiences, in an atmosphere of togetherness and trust.
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| 4. |
- Glasberg, Ann-Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Development and initial validation of the Stress of Conscience Questionnaire.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Nursing Ethics. - : SAGE Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 13:6, s. 633-48
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stress in health care is affected by moral factors. When people are prevented from doing 'good' they may feel that they have not done what they ought to or that they have erred, thus giving rise to a troubled conscience. Empirical studies show that health care personnel sometimes refer to conscience when talking about being in ethically difficult everyday care situations. This study aimed to construct and validate the Stress of Conscience Questionnaire (SCQ), a nine-item instrument for assessing stressful situations and the degree to which they trouble the conscience. The items were based on situations previously documented as causing negative stress for health care workers. Content and face validity were established by expert panels and pilot studies that selected relevant items and modified or excluded ambiguous ones. A convenience sample of 444 health care personnel indicated that the SCQ had acceptable validity and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha exceeded 0.83 for the overall scale). Explorative factor analysis identified and labelled two factors: 'internal demands' and 'external demands and restrictions'. The findings suggest that the SCQ is a concise and practical instrument for use in various health care contexts.
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| 5. |
- Gustafsson, Gabriella, et al.
(författare)
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Burnout and perceptions of conscience among health care personnel : a pilot study.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nursing Ethics. - : SAGE Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 17:1, s. 23-38
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although organizational and situational factors have been found to predict burnout, not everyone employed at the same workplace develops it, suggesting that becoming burnt out is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon. The aim of this study was to elucidate perceptions of conscience, stress of conscience, moral sensitivity, social support and resilience among two groups of health care personnel from the same workplaces, one group on sick leave owing to medically assessed burnout (n = 20) and one group who showed no indications of burnout (n = 20). The results showed that higher levels of stress of conscience, a perception of conscience as a burden, having to deaden one's conscience in order to keep working in health care and perceiving a lack of support characterized the burnout group. Lower levels of stress of conscience, looking on life with forbearance, a perception of conscience as an asset and perceiving support from organizations and those around them (social support) characterized the non-burnout group.
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| 6. |
- Juthberg, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Perceptions of conscience in relation to stress of conscience
- 2007
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Ingår i: Nursing Ethics. - : Sage Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 14:3, s. 329-343
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Every day situations arising in health care contain ethical issues influencing care providers' conscience. How and to what extent conscience is influenced may differ according to how conscience is perceived. This study aimed to explore the relationship between perceptions of conscience and stress of conscience among care providers working in municipal housing for elderly people. A total of 166 care providers were approached, of which 146 (50 registered nurses and 96 nurses' aides/enrolled nurses) completed a questionnaire containing the Perceptions of Conscience Questionnaire and the Stress of Conscience Questionnaire. A multivariate canonical correlation analysis was conducted. The first two functions emerging from the analysis themselves explained a noteworthy amount of the shared variance (25.6% and 17.8%). These two dimensions of the relationship were interpreted either as having to deaden one's conscience relating to external demands in order to be able to collaborate with coworkers, or as having to deaden one's conscience relating to internal demands in order to uphold one's identity as a `good' health care professional.
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| 7. |
- Lindahl, Elisabeth, et al.
(författare)
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Nurses' ethical reflections on caring for people with malodorous exuding ulcers.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nursing Ethics. - : SAGE Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 17:6, s. 777-790
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to illuminate nurses' reflections on obstacles to and possibilities for providing care as desired by people with malodorous exuding ulcers. Six nurses who took part in a previous study were interviewed. The participants were shown an illustration with findings from a study that elucidated the meaning of living with malodorous exuding ulcers. They were asked to reflect on the obstacles to and possibilities of providing the care desired by the patients. Twelve audio-recorded transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Our interpretations of participants' reflections on the obstacles and possibilities while caring for such patients revealed one theme: striving to 'do good' and 'be good'. The obstacles were formulated as subthemes: experiencing clinical competence constraints, experiencing organizational constraints, experiencing ineffective communication, fearing failure, and experiencing powerlessness. The possibilities were formulated by the subthemes: spreading knowledge about ulcer treatments, considering wholeness, and creating clear channels of communication. A multiprofessional team could overcome the identified obstacles and provide structure, competencies, commitment and support to 'do good' for patients and 'be good' nurses.
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| 8. |
- Lützén, Kim, et al.
(författare)
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Developing the concept of moral sensitivity in health care practice.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Nursing Ethics. - : SAGE Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 13:2, s. 187-96
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this Swedish study was to develop the concept of moral sensitivity in health care practice. This process began with an overview of relevant theories and perspectives on ethics with a focus on moral sensitivity and related concepts, in order to generate a theoretical framework. The second step was to construct a questionnaire based on this framework by generating a list of items from the theoretical framework. Nine items were finally selected as most appropriate and consistent with the research team's understanding of the concept of moral sensitivity. The items were worded as assumptions related to patient care. The questionnaire was distributed to two groups of health care personnel on two separate occasions and a total of 278 completed questionnaires were returned. A factor analysis identified three factors: sense of moral burden, moral strength and moral responsibility. These seem to be conceptually interrelated yet indicate that moral sensitivity may involve more dimensions than simply a cognitive capacity, particularly, feelings, sentiments, moral knowledge and skills.
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| 9. |
- Mazaheri, Monir, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Clear conscience grounded in relations : Expressions of Persian-speaking nurses in Sweden
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nursing ethics. - : SAGE Publications. - 0969-7330 .- 1477-0989. ; 3:1, s. 349-361
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Conscience is an important concept in ethics, having various meanings in different cultures. Because a growing number of healthcare professionals are of immigrant background, particularly within the care of older people, demanding multiple ethical positions, it is important to explore the meaning of conscience among care providers within different cultural contexts.Research objective: The study aimed to illuminate the meaning of conscience by enrolled nurses with an Iranian background working in residential care for Persian-speaking people with dementia.Research design: A phenomenological hermeneutical method guided the study.Participants and research context: A total of 10 enrolled nurses with Iranian background, aged 33–46 years, participated in the study. All worked full time in residential care settings for Persian-speaking people with dementia in a large city, in Sweden.Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board for ethical vetting of research involving humans. Participants were given verbal and written study information and assured that their participation was voluntary and confidential.Findings: Three themes were constructed including perception of conscience, clear conscience grounded in relations and striving to keep a clear conscience. The conscience was perceived as an inner guide grounded in feelings, which is dynamic and subject to changes throughout life. Having a clear conscience meant being able to form a bond with others, to respect them and to get their confirmation that one does well. To have a clear conscience demanded listening to the voice of the conscience. The enrolled nurses strived to keep their conscience clear by being generous in helping others, accomplishing daily tasks well and behaving nicely in the hope of being treated the same way one day.Conclusion: Cultural frameworks and the context of practice needed to be considered in interpreting the meaning of conscience and clear conscience.
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| 10. |
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