Privacy Consciousness and Ethical Sensitivity in Nursing Students

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to determine the privacy consciousness and ethical sensitivity of nursing students. METHODS: The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 2nd, 3rd and 4th year nursing students who were educating in the nursing department of health college of a university and participated into clinical practice (n=362). The data were collected by using a Questionnaire Form, the Privacy Consciousness Scale and the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean age of the students was 21.21+-1.65 years, 37% of them were the third grade students and 71.8% of them were famele. Nursing students 57.2% stated that they took the ethics course in nursing and 78.9 knew the ethical principles and responsibilities in nursing. The total score of the Privacy Consciousness Scale was 51.04+-4.10 and the the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire was 89.54+-23.34 of the students. It was determined that there was a positive correlation between the total score of the students Privacy Consciousness Scale and the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Nursing students' privacy consciousness are high, ethical sensitivity are moderate level. It is recommended to plan activities to increase the ethical sensitivity of students in theoretical and clinical training.

Keywords

• ethical sensitivity
• nurse; privacy consciousness; student