Moral Reasoning Ability in Nursing Students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences

The setting of nursing care provision is full of ethical dilemas which requires moral reasoning ability. This study was designed to evaluate the moral reasoning ability of nursing students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd city. It was a descriptive correlational study that was conducted in 2012. The sample consisted of 113 nursing students in their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year of education who were recruited by census. Data was collected by NDT (Nursing Dilemma Test) according to Kohlberg levels of moral reasoning and analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential methods (pearson, t-test-ANOVA) using SPSS - PC (V. 18). The mean score of moral reasoning abilities among nursing students was 43/23±2/2. Among demographic characteristics, age was associated with moral reasoning (p=0/03). There was also a significant relationship between moral reasoning and years of education (p=0/04). According to the findings, it is suggested that those involved in educational planning use specific strategies in order to increase nursing student's moral reasoning ability.