Factors Influencing Nurses’ Ethical Decision-Making Regarding End-of-Life Care

The ethical decision-making abilities of nurses are essential in enhancing the quality of life and death for patients and their family members. The purpose of this study was to describe the extent of nurses’ ethical decision-making abilities regarding end-of-life (EOL) care and to identify the factors that influence nurses’ ethical decisions. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was applied at two university-affiliated hospitals in South Korea using self-reported questionnaires concerning knowledge, attitudes, and ethical decision-making procedures regarding EOL care. A total of 192 nurses participated in the survey. Data were collected in December 2012 and analyzed with descriptive statistics, a Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regressions. Nurses’ ethical decision-making abilities regarding EOL care was positively correlated with nurses’ knowledge (r=0.27, p<0.001) but there was no correlation between attitudes (r=0.14, p=0.062). Knowledge and job satisfaction explained 25.3% of variance in nurses’ moral practice as the result of ethical decision-making. The findings of this study suggest that it is necessary for nurses who care for EOL patients to improve their knowledge and positive attitudes in order to enhance their competency in ethical decision-making.