Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
A supportive ethical climate and ethical sensitivity are essential for nurses to understand the vulnerability of and discern the caring needs of their care recipients. However, the impact of contextual and personal factors on the caring efficacy of nurses from an ethical perspective has not received research attention. The aims of this study are to investigate the associations between ethical climate and the caring efficacy of nurses, as well as the mediating role of ethical sensitivity in this association.
Who can participate?
Enrolled nurses or registered nurses who work as full-time nursing staff
What does the study involve?
A total of 191 participants will be recruited by random sampling from two hospitals. Participants will complete a set of online questionnaires to examine the associations between ethical climate and the caring efficacy of nurses and the mediating role of ethical sensitivity.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The associations of ethical climate and ethical sensitivity with caring efficacy of nurses revealed from this study will guide ways to cultivate a conducive environment and strengthen the caring competency of nurses. The results of this study will enable evidence-based caring practice for providing holistic care and improving quality of care. There is no potential risk of participating in this study.
Where is the study run from?
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
May 2020 to April 2021
Who is funding the study?
Nethersole Institute of Continuing Holistic Health Education (Hong Kong)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Fiona Tang
wktang@cuhk.edu.hk
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Public
Primary contact
Dr Fiona Tang
ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7457-7820
Contact details
Room 628
6/F
Esther Lee Building
Shatin
New Territories
Hong Kong
NA
Hong Kong
+852 (0)3943 4235
wktang@cuhk.edu.hk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
Nil known
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Nil known
Protocol/serial number
Proposal_Caring project_version 1_2.4.2019
Study information
Scientific title
Impacts of the ethical climate of the clinical environment and ethical sensitivity of nurses on their caring efficacy
Acronym
Study hypothesis
There are two objectives in the study:
1. To examine the association of ethical climate of clinical environment and ethical sensitivity of nurses with their caring efficacy
2. To investigate the mediation effect of ethical sensitivity on the association between ethical climate and caring efficacy
Ethics approval
Approved 25/09/2019, Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong and New Territories East Cluster Research Ethics Committee (8/F, Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong; +852 (0)3505 3935; crec@cuhk.edu.hk), ref: 2019.226
Study design
Descriptive correlational study with a cross-sectional design
Primary study design
Observational
Secondary study design
Cross sectional study
Trial setting
Hospitals
Trial type
Other
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a participant information sheet
Condition
Caring efficacy of nurses
Intervention
Participants will be randomly selected from two local hospitals. The complete list of eligible nurses affiliated to the hospitals will be used to compile a sample frame for random selection of participants.
Participants will complete a set of online questionnaires, which consists of three scales: Hospital Ethical Climate Survey, Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised and Caring Efficacy Scale. The approach of Baron and Kenny will be adopted to examine the associations between ethical climate and caring efficacy of nurses and the mediating role of ethical sensitivity.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
1. Nurses’ appraisal of ethical climate of clinical environment measured using Hospital Ethical Climate Survey (HECS) at a single timepoint
2. Ethical sensitivity of nurses measured by Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised (MSQ-R) at a single timepoint
3. Caring efficacy of nurses measured using Caring Efficacy Scale (CES) at a single timepoint
Secondary outcome measures
There are no secondary outcome measures
Overall trial start date
01/05/2020
Overall trial end date
30/04/2021
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Enrolled Nurses or Registered Nurses
2. Work as full-time nursing staff
3. Consent to participate in the study
Participant type
Health professional
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
191
Participant exclusion criteria
Does not meet inclusion criteria
Recruitment start date
15/05/2020
Recruitment end date
31/12/2020
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Hong Kong
Trial participating centre
Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital
11 Chuen On Rd, Tai Po, NT
Hong Kong
-
Hong Kong
Trial participating centre
Tai Po Hospital
9 Chuen On Rd, Tai Po, NT
Hong Kong
-
Hong Kong
Sponsor information
Organisation
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Sponsor details
6/F
Esther Lee Building
Shatin
New Territories
Hong Kong
852
Hong Kong
+852 (0)39434235
wktang@cuhk.edu.hk
Sponsor type
University/education
Website
Funders
Funder type
University/education
Funder name
Nethersole Institute of Continuing Holistic Health Education (NICHE)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Planned publication in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal within a year after completion of the study.
IPD sharing statement
The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study during this study will be included in the subsequent results publication.
Intention to publish date
30/04/2022
Participant level data
Other
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list