title: Nursing students' understanding of factors influencing ethical sensitivity: A qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ethical sensitivity is considered as a component of professional competency of nurses. Its effects on improvement of nurses' ethical performance and the therapeutic relationship between nurses and patients have been reported. However, very limited studies have evaluated ethical sensitivity. Since no previous Iranian research has been conducted in this regard, the present study aimed to review nursing students' understanding of effective factors on ethical sensitivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This qualitative study was performed in Kerman, Iran, during 2009. It used semi-structured individual interviews with eight MSc nursing students to assess their viewpoints. It also included two focus groups. Purposive sampling was continued until data saturation. Data were analyzed using manifest content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The students' understanding of factors influencing ethical sensitivity were summarized in five main themes including individual and spiritual characteristics, education, mutual understanding, internal and external controls, and experience of an immoral act.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study create a unique framework for sensitization of nurses in professional performance. The application of these factors in human resource management is reinforcement of positive aspects and decrease in negative aspects, in education can use for educational objectives setting, and in research can designing studies based on this framework and making related tools. It is noteworthy that presented classification was influenced by students themselves and mentioned to a kind of learning activity by them.
authors.affiliation: Medical Ethics and Law Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borhani
authors.affiliation: Medical Ethics and Law Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbaszadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohaddeseh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohsenpour
keywords: Nursing students; professional ethics; qualitative research