Assessing Ethical Sensitivity among Nursing Administrators: A Scoping Review of Research Tools
Keywords:
Ethical Sensitivity, Instruments, Nursing AdministratorsAbstract
This scoping review aimed to synthesize existing knowledge regarding the characteristics of published research articles and conceptual frameworks related to the development of instruments for measuring ethical sensitivity, published between 2010 and 2020. Research articles were retrieved from both national and international databases, including CINAHL, ResearchGate, Google, Google Scholar, ProQuest, ThaiLIS, ThaiJO, Academia, ScienceDirect, and university electronic databases that met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the research articles was assessed using the appraisal tool developed by Kemet Lee and Cook . Inter-rater reliability was tested using Cohen's kappa coefficient, and descriptive statistics were employed. The Kappa test indicated no statistically significant differences (k = 0.54, p-value = .220). The findings showed as follows.
1. A total of 14 studies focused on measuring ethical sensitivity. Most were conducted in educational organizations (n = 7) and all were published in international journals (n = 14). Psychology was the predominant discipline (n = 6). The instruments commonly employed Likert scaling with 5 - 7 points (n = 14).The most frequent sample group was students (n = 5), with a sample sizes ranging from 200 – 300 participants (n = 9).
2. The instruments were referred to as the “Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire (MSQ)” or “Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire”. Reliability was most often assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha, with coefficients ranging between .70 - .90 (n = 14). Construct validity was examined using CFA and EFA (n = 14). All studies adopted Rest’s conceptual framework, emphasizing ethical decision-making as the foundation (n = 14).
This review highlights the absence of published research in Thailand and within nursing organizations on measuring ethical sensitivity among nursing administrators. It underscores the need for nursing administrators to have reliable and valid instruments with strong validity to assess ethical sensitivity. Such tools would support the managerial capacity to foster ethically sensitive behavior, thereby reducing ethical conflicts and enhancing organizational quality in nursing contexts.
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