Moral sensitivity and related factors in Iranian critical care nurses: A narrative review

Abstract

This Review explores moral sensitivity and related factors among critical care unit nurses in Iran. A broad systematic search was performed at the international electronic databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Persian electronic databases such as Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "Morals", "Ethics", "Moral Sensitivity", "Nurses", and "Critical Care Unit" from the earliest to June 1, 2023. The studies revealed that Iranian nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs), cardiac care units (CCUs), neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and dialysis units had average moral sensitivity. Factors related to moral sensitivity in Iranian critical care nurses were divided into demographic and moral-professional factors. Demographic factors related to moral sensitivity in Iranian critical care nurses included age, average weekly working hours, work history and clinical experience, gender, marital status, education level, type of work shift, workplace sector, and employment status. Demographic factors related to moral sensitivity in Iranian critical care nurses included respecting the patient's rights, moral intelligence, compassion fatigue, communication with the patient, the dimension of professional knowledge, moral tension, work conscience, virtual training, moral principles in a narrative style, critical care unit nurses require high benevolence, professional knowledge, and skills in delivering bad news. They must also know the history of passing moral courses, handling moral distress, and heavy mental workload. Based on these nurses' moderate moral sensitivity, medical center managers should focus on increasing their moral sensitivity by addressing related factors.