BackgroundHaving moral courage is a crucial characteristic for nurses to handle ethical quandaries, stay true to their professional obligations towards patients, and uphold ethical principles. This concept can be influenced by various factors including personal, professional, organizational, and leadership considerations. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictors of moral courage among nurses working in hospitals.MethodsIn 2018, an observational cross-sectional study was carried out on 267 nurses employed in six hospitals located in the northern region of Iran. The (...) participants were selected through a simple random sampling technique. To collect data, a demographic information form was used along with two questionnaires. The first questionnaire was a standard survey on moral courage, while the second questionnaire was designed to assess the ethical climate. Linear regression was used to assess the predictors of moral courage.ResultsNurses had an average moral courage score of 87.07 ± 15.52 and an average moral climate score of 96.12 ± 17.17. The study showed that 16% of the variation in moral courage scores among nurses was explained by ethical climate and monthly overtime hours.ConclusionThis study underscores the significance of establishing an ethical work environment and minimizing overtime hours in order to enhance moral courage among nurses. These findings carry weight for both nursing practice and organizational policies focused on fostering ethical conduct within healthcare settings. (shrink)

There is still a serious imbalance between the number of organ donors and the number of patients on the transplant list. It is therefore of great importance to assess and strengthen resources to improve people’s attitudes towards organ donation. This study examines the possible mediating role of Spiritual Well-Being (SWB) in relation to attitudes towards organ donation and family discussions in Iranian society. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Iran in 2022. Participants included 316 members of the Iranian general (...) population aged 18 years and older who participated in the study using convenience sampling methods. Data were collected using a demographic profile form, and the standardized Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) by Paloutzian and Ellisons, and two researcher-made questionnaire including Attitudes towards organ donation and discuss with family. The researchers used path analysis to analyze the mediation model. All the statistical analyses were done using the SPSS_AMOS 27 software. The majority of participants were single professional women with a bachelor’s degree. Pearson correlation test results showed a positive correlation between attitudes towards organ donation and family discussions (r = 0.522, p < 0.001). There was also a positive association between attitudes towards organ donation and SWB (r = 0.247, p < 0.001). Similarly, results indicate a partial association between family discussion and attitudes toward organ donation, which is influenced by the mediating variable SWB and family affected in a manner similar to that seen for the variable ‘discussing with’. And ‘attitudes toward organ donation’ are mediated by varying SWB (B = 0.227, p < 0.009). SWB and discuss with family explain 30% of the variance. Attitudes toward organ donation were directly influenced by discuss with family members and improved by SWB accordingly. This study suggests that SWB is integral to attitudes towards organ donation in Iranian society. Not applicable. (shrink)