The relationship between professional values, ethical sensitivities and caring behaviors among nursing students: A structural equation modeling approach

Aim: To examine the relationship between professional values, ethical sensitivity and caring behaviors among nursing students and determine whether professional values play a moderator role in the relationship between ethical sensitivity and caring behaviors among nursing students.Background: Developing professional nursing values, ethical sensitivity and caring behaviors is critical in nursing programs from the first year to graduation to prepare students for increasingly complex and diverse work environments.Design: A cross-sectional study using structural equation modeling. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist was used.Methods: This study was conducted with 189 undergraduate nursing students. The study was conducted in a fouryear nursing faculty in the Mediterranean region of Turkey from February to June 2022. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Nurses' Professional Values Scale, the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire and the Caring Behaviors Assessment Tool Nursing Version-Short Form. Results: We found that nursing students' perceptions of professional values and caring behaviors were high and their ethical sensitivity was moderate. Nursing students who are successful in high school have higher professional values. In addition, it was determined that nursing students who chose the nursing profession because of altruism had higher perceptions of caring behaviors. A positive relationship exists between professional values, ethical sensitivity (r = -0.258, p < 0.001) and caring behaviors (r = 0.431, p < 0.001) (p < 0.05). Professional values have a positive effect on ethical sensitivity and caring behaviors.Conclusion: Professional values, ethical sensitivity and caring behaviors are relationships and professional values positively predict nursing students' ethical sensitivities and caring behaviors. As the professional value perceptions of nursing students increase, their ethical sensitivity and caring behaviors increase. Improving the curricula in a way that will improve professional values may enable nursing students to increase their ethical sensitivity and caring behaviors. The research contributes to a broader understanding of nursing education curriculum content.