Annika Jensen, Evy Lidell
Abstract
The influence of conscience on nurses in terms of guilt has frequently been described but its impact on care has received less attention. The aim of this study was to describe nurses’ conceptions of the influence of conscience on the provision of inpatient care. The study employed a phenomenographic approach and analysis method. Fifteen nurses from three hospitals in western Sweden were interviewed. The results showed that these nurses considered conscience to be an important factor in the exercise of their profession, as revealed by the descriptive categories: conscience as a driving force; con- science as a restricting factor; and conscience as a source of sensitivity. They perceived that conscience played a role in nursing actions involving patients and next of kin, and was an asset that guided them in their efforts to provide high quality care.
Jensen A, Lidell E. The Influence of Conscience in Nursing. Nurs. Ethics. 2009 Jan 1;16(1):31-42.