Barriers to compliance with principles of nursing ethics and their relationship with caring behaviors

This study examined the barriers to complying with nursing ethics principles in adult intensive care units at teaching hospitals affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and their relationship with caring behaviors in 2024. Using a descriptive-analytical design, 300 ICU nurses were surveyed through proportional random sampling. Data were collected via demographic forms, an ethical barriers questionnaire, and the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI-42). Results showed that the "individual and caring" domain had the highest ethical barrier score (52.36 ± 9.43), while the "workspace" domain had the lowest (20.56 ± 3.44). Most nurses (75.3%) perceived ethical barriers to be serious. Among the caregiving behaviors, "respect for others" had the highest score (56.93 ± 10.69), and "attention to others' experiences" had the lowest (20.02 ± 3.68). No significant correlation was found between ethical barriers and caregiving behaviors (P = 0.072, r = 0.104). Despite serious ethical challenges, the nurses in this study maintained acceptable standards of care. It is recommended to conduct further research into the specific ethical barriers subscales to better understand their influence on care quality and to develop strategies to improve nurses’ working conditions

Ethical issues · Ethical standards · Intensive care unit · Medical ethics · Nursing ethics · Ethics in medical practice · Nursing education and management · Patient Dignity and Privacy