Nurses’ assessment of the ethical climate of a university hospital in the South of Brazil

Abstract

Background: Ethical climate can be defined as the healthcare professionals’ perceptions of the ethical treatment of healthcare issues and human interactions in their work environment. A number of studies on ethical climate are being carried out in several countries. In Brazil, however, research on the matter is still incipient, especially among hospital nurses. Aim: To assess nurses’ perception of the ethical climate in a university hospital in the South of Brazil. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out with 269 nurses from a university hospital, using a sociodemographic and occupational profiling survey and the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey – Brazilian version. Data analysis was done through descriptive statistics. Results: The nurses’ perception of the ethical climate was positive (3.68 ± 0.55). Among the five assessment factors, ‘peers’ had the highest score (4.07 ± 0.57), whereas ‘physicians’ had the lowest score (3.26 ± 0.70) for ethical climate. Conclusion: In general, the ethical climate was perceived as positive, with small variations between the factors of the instrument. Ethical climate could be enhanced through strategies that encourage interpersonal relationships. This study shows the importance of a positive ethical climate based on good relationships between healthcare professionals for ensuring better care.