Assessing ethical competency of new registered nurses

Nurses in today's healthcare environment are increasingly confronted with complex care situations in which they are expected to autonomously make decisions in delivering quality care to patients within the confines of strict deadlines. Similarly, vast increases in scientific discoveries such as stem cell therapies and genetic research have led to increased awareness of the ethical dimensions of nursing. Therefore nurses must be adequately prepared with the knowledge and expertise needed to deliver patient care in an ethical manner because nurses are often the healthcare provider with the most interaction with the patient and family. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of ethical competency of registered nurses with 3 years clinical experience or less. Participants were 12 nurses with 3 years of clinical experience or less. Study findings showed baccalaureate nurses' level of ethical competency is higher than those of diploma prepared nurses. Recommendations for improving the ethical competency of nurses in the clinical setting and nursing students in the academic setting were proposed.