Nurses' perspectives regarding the relationship between professional ethics and organizational commitment in healthcare organizations

Abstract

Nurses' professional and ethical performances are influenced by the health organizations' environment, and high quality and holistic care can only be provided by observing the principles of professional ethics and organizational commitment. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the relationship between professional ethics and organizational commitment in nurses. This descriptive-analytic study was conducted in hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) in 2019 in Iran. The study participants included 210 public ward nurses selected using the stratified random sampling method. Data were collected using Petty Professional Ethics and Allen-Meyer Organizational Commitment questionnaires, and then analyzed by SPSS V.25. Both the mean score of the nurses' professional ethics (102.21 ± 10.89) and the mean score of the nurses' organizational commitment (95.30 ± 16.54) were at high levels. Moreover, a direct and significant relationship was found between professional ethics and organizational commitment (P= 0.009, r = 0.179). In other words, a positive correlation was found between professional ethics and organizational commitment. Considering the relationship between professional ethics and organizational commitment in nurses, managers should enhance nurses' level of adherence to ethical principles, organizational commitment and organizational attachment. Additionally, training courses can help improve nurses' professional capabilities, and hence enhancing the quality of providing healthcare services.