Moral sensitivity of nursing students. Adaptation and validation of the moral sensitivity questionnaire in Spain

PLoS One. 2022 Jun 16;17(6):e0270049. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270049. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Ethical sensitivity is a requirement for people care as well as for decision-making in everyday practice. The aim is to present an adaptation and transcultural validation -in Spanish- of the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire by Lützén et al. in Spain. In addition to that, we provide a practical implementation analysing the degree of moral sensitivity of nursing students. The data used for data collection were moral Sensitivity Questionnaire, socio-demographic data and a self-report questionnaire. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were assessed, including validity and reliability. Fit indices of the overall model were computed. The fit indices of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicate a poor fit, although the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed two dimensions that show a better fit of its indices. Women and those women with more experience in the clinical setting have a higher mean score, as well as those who study in centers where the strategic lines are the humanization of care. Female nursing students with more experience in the clinical setting and with more educational training present higher sensitivity indexes, as well as those who study in centers where the strategic lines are the humanization of care. The findings confirm that the Lützén et al. questionnaire is multidimensional. In the Spanish sample, it was necessary to group the three initial factors into two: sense of moral burden and moral strength-grouping the moral responsibility items into the above items to make the instrument more resilient.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Morals
  • Psychometrics / methods
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spain
  • Students, Nursing*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

Initials of the authors who received each award: MJH, IFJ, LBH. ABG, JRM, BHP Common subventio. 5000 euros Victor Grifols Foundation https://www.fundaciogrifols.org/es/web/fundacio/home The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.