Predictors of Wound Ostomy and Incontinence Nurses' Ethical Behaviors for Protecting Patient Rights: A Descriptive and Correlational Study

This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study aimed to determine the ethical behaviors of wound, ostomy, and incontinence nurses in protecting patient rights and to identify the factors influencing these behaviors. A convenience sample of 110 Turkish wound, ostomy and incontinence nurses using social media accounts and WhatsApp groups of the Wound, Ostomy, and Incontinence Nurses' Society participated in this study. The data were collected using the Nurses' Ethical Behaviors for Protecting Patient Rights Scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the data. The mean age of the nurses was 40.81 years (SD=6.28), 93.6% were female, and 54.5% had a bachelor's degree. The mean score of nurses' ethical behaviours for protecting patients' rights was 128.80±6.85. Nurses who received postgraduate education (β=0.183), had 21 years or more experience as wound, ostomy, and incontinence nurse (β=0.245), and received ethics training (β=0.258) had significantly higher scores (p<0.05). This study revealed that wound, ostomy and incontinence nurses exhibited moderate ethical behaviour for patient rights. Education level, experience working as a wound, ostomy and incontinence nurses, and ethics training were determinants of ethical behaviors for patient rights. Therefore, nurses should be supported in receiving postgraduate education, and ethics education should be included in continuing education.