Legal and ethical conflicts in hospital settings: thematic synthesis of qualitative studies focused on nursing practice

Legal-ethical conflicts deeply affect both caregivers and institutional cultures. Mitigating their impact requires coordinated reforms: integrating ethics education and decision-making training into nursing curricula, revising legal frameworks to allow greater contextual flexibility, and establishing psychosocial and ethical support systems for staff exposed to recurring moral tensions. Such multi-level strategies can bridge the gap between law and moral care, fostering ethical coherence, professional sustainability, and trust within healthcare systems.