Ethical Problems Observed By Student Nurses

Abstract

This descriptive study was conducted to determine nursing students’ observation of ethical problems encountered in their clinical practice. Data were collected through a questionnaire from 153 volunteer nursing students at a university-based nursing school in Ankara, Turkey. The students reported that some patients are either physically or psychologically mistreated by doctors and nurses; they were not given appropriate information; they were subjected to discrimination according to their socio-economic situation; and their privacy was ignored. The findings reveal that nurses’ own unethical behaviors contribute to a rise in ethical problems. It is argued that nurses should internalize their professional and ethical roles in order to provide safe and ethical care and be good role models for students.