Effects of Nurses' Moral Sensitivity on Attitudes toward Elderly Care in Small and Medium-sized Hospitals

This study aims to investigate the impact of moral sensitivity on the attitudes towards elderly care among nurses working in small and medium-sized hospitals. After obtaining approval from the nursing departments of five hospitals located in City G, a survey was conducted with 125 nurses. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 program, employing frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression. The findings revealed that the mean score for moral sensitivity was 4.69 out of 7, while the average score for attitudes toward elderly care was 5.31. The study results showed that among the subdomains of moral sensitivity, 'patient-centered care,' 'professional responsibility,' and 'conflict' had a significant positive correlation with attitudes toward elderly care. The main predictors of attitudes toward elderly care were identified as the preference for elderly nursing and moral sensitivity in the area of professional responsibility. This study highlights the importance of ethical education aimed at enhancing nurses' moral sensitivity, as well as the need for developing educational programs that reinforce ethical responsibility and a preference for elderly care. Consequently, the findings of this study can serve as foundational data for exploring strategies to provide better care for elderly patients by nurses in small and medium-sized hospitals.