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Cited by 6Ethics in medical practiceEthics and bioethics in healthcareEthics in Business and Education

Experiences of internship nursing students in confronting ethical issues: a qualitative study

Open access
Heidari, Tahereh, Jouybari, Leila, Borhani, Fariba, Sabzi, Zahra·2025·BMC Medical Ethics
DOI 10.1186/s12910-025-01254-wPMC PMC12247464
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Abstract

Background: Advances in science and technology have turned the modern healthcare system into a challenging environment with many ethical dilemmas. Internship nursing students experience many ethical issues in the clinical environment. The present study explored the experiences of Iranian internship nursing students in confronting ethical issues. Methods: The present study is a qualitative inquiry with a conventional content analysis approach. A total of 15 internship nursing students (six females and nine males, semesters 7 and 8) were selected via purposive sampling with maximum variation from the nursing and midwifery faculty at Golestan University of Medical Sciences, northern Iran. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews over eight months. Graneheim and Lundman’s qualitative conventional content analysis approach was used for data analysis. MAXQDA version 2022 was utilized for data management. The trustworthiness of the data was ensured by four criteria given by Lincoln and Guba. Results: Qualitative data analysis led to 792 initial codes, which were reduced to 262 after removing duplicates. Subsequent analysis resulted in 7 sub-categories and 3 main categories, including “Insufficient Ethical Preparation,” “Inadequate Ethical Reasoning Skills,” and “An Ineffective Ethical Atmosphere in the Clinical Environment.” Ultimately, the main theme of “Limited Ethical Maturity of Students in Ethical Issues” was extracted. Conclusion: Internship nursing students enter the educational environment with inadequate preparation and limited ethical maturity, which often leads to passive behavior when faced with ethical issues. Considering the non-educational clinical environment and the identified issues in the academic structure, reviewing the curriculum of professional ethics in nursing in Iran seems necessary.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This qualitative study explored Iranian internship nursing students’ experiences of confronting ethical issues in clinical settings. It identified a central theme of “Limited Ethical Maturity of Students in Ethical Issues,” shaped by insufficient ethical preparation, inadequate ethical reasoning skills, and an ineffective ethical atmosphere in the clinical environment.

Key findings

  • Data analysis produced 792 initial codes, reduced to 262 after removing duplicates, then 7 sub-categories and 3 main categories: “Insufficient Ethical Preparation,” “Inadequate Ethical Reasoning Skills,” and “An Ineffective Ethical Atmosphere in the Clinical Environment.”
  • The overarching theme was “Limited Ethical Maturity of Students in Ethical Issues”; students often described passive behavior, limited authority due to student status, and difficulty acting when witnessing ethical violations.
  • Participants reported ineffective ethics courses, limited identification of ethical deviations, reflection and hesitation in challenging situations, poor nurse communication, and a non-educational clinical environment in terms of professional ethics.
  • Some students described assertive action, such as administering prescribed PRN Apotel after repeated reports of patient pain were dismissed, but many remained silent or followed ward routines.

Methods

  • Qualitative conventional content analysis using Graneheim and Lundman’s approach, with data collected through in-depth, face-to-face semi-structured interviews from September 2023 to April 2024.
  • Participants were 15 undergraduate internship nursing students in semesters 7 and 8 at Golestan University of Medical Sciences, northern Iran; 9 were male (60%) and 6 female (40%), with a mean age of 23.73 years.
  • Purposive sampling with maximum variation was used; 20 interviews were conducted, each lasting 45–60 minutes (mean 56.33 minutes), and data saturation was reached after the 13th interview, with two additional interviews conducted. MAXQDA was used for data management, and trustworthiness was addressed using Lincoln and Guba’s four criteria.

Limitations

  • The authors acknowledge limitations of language in qualitative studies and note that nursing culture and the ethical atmosphere of Iran’s healthcare system may differ from other countries.
  • The study focused only on Iranian internship nursing students in semesters 7 and 8; the authors suggest similar research with lower-semester students under clinical professor guidance.
  • Evident from the text: the study was conducted at a single university and relies on interview self-report, which may limit transferability and does not capture direct observational data.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1186/s12910-025-01254-w

Cites

46 of 46 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 20 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data

    Many participants highlighted the inapplicability of the nursing professional ethics course in the undergraduate curriculum as a significant issue.

    “Many participants highlighted the inapplicability of the nursing professional ethics course in the undergraduate curriculum as a significant issue.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    Internship students pointed to a discrepancy between theory and clinical practice.

    “They pointed to issues such as the discrepancy between theory and clinical practice, the non-compliance of standards related to clinical skills by nurses, and assigning clinical procedures to internship students without the supervision of the responsible nurse.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    One feature of Insufficient Ethical Preparation was the ineffectiveness of ethics courses in addressing ethical challenges in the clinical setting.

    “One feature of the main category, “Insufficient Ethical Preparation,” was the Ineffectiveness of Ethics Courses in Addressing Ethical Challenges in the Clinical Setting.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    Internship students pointed to nurses' non-compliance with standards related to clinical skills.

    “They pointed to issues such as the discrepancy between theory and clinical practice, the non-compliance of standards related to clinical skills by nurses, and assigning clinical procedures to internship students without the supervision of the responsible nurse.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    Internship students talked about their experiences with nurses who violated ethical principles in patient care, particularly regarding respect for patients' lives and dignity.

    “Internship students talked about their experiences with nurses who violated ethical principles in patient care, particularly regarding respect for patients’ lives and dignity.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 18
  • May combine two claims. 23

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingown data

    The main theme of "Limited Ethical Maturity of Students in Ethical Issues" was extracted.

    “Ultimately, the main theme of “Limited Ethical Maturity of Students in Ethical Issues” was extracted.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Some participants pointed out that the nursing professional ethics course was not very important to them.

    “Some participants pointed out that the nursing professional ethics course was not very important to them.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Qualitative data analysis led to 792 initial codes, which were reduced to 262 after removing duplicates.

    “Qualitative data analysis led to 792 initial codes, which were reduced to 262 after removing duplicates.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Participants mentioned issues such as teaching theory-based ethical topics in nursing professional ethics courses and the inability of some professors to sensitize students to ethical principles.

    “They mentioned issues such as teaching theory-based ethical topics in nursing professional ethics courses and the inability of some professors to sensitize students to ethical principles.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Subsequent analysis resulted in 7 sub-categories and 3 main categories, including "Insufficient Ethical Preparation," "Inadequate Ethical Reasoning Skills," and "An Ineffective Ethical Atmosphere in the Clinical Environment."

    “Subsequent analysis resulted in 7 sub-categories and 3 main categories, including “Insufficient Ethical Preparation,” “Inadequate Ethical Reasoning Skills,” and “An Ineffective Ethical Atmosphere in the Clinical Environment.””
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The sub-categories under "An Ineffective Ethical Atmosphere in the Clinical Environment" are "Inefficient Professional Communication of Nurses with Other People" and "Non-Educational Environment in Terms of Professional Ethics."

    “| Limited Ethical Maturity of Students in Ethical Issues | An Ineffective Ethical Atmosphere in the Clinical Environment | Inefficient Professional Communication of Nurses with Other People |”
    • Also stated in: § Qualitative findings · plain
      “| Limited Ethical Maturity of Students in Ethical Issues | An Ineffective Ethical Atmosphere in the Clinical Environment | Non-Educational Environment in Terms of Professional Ethics |”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The objective of professional ethics in nursing credit was not met, primarily due to faculty teaching styles, clinical instructors' inability to address ethical issues, and students' low regard for the ethics module.

    “However, our study’s findings suggest that this objective was not met in professional ethics in nursing credit, primarily due to factors such as faculty teaching styles, clinical instructors’ inability to address ethical issues, and students’ low regard for the ethics module.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Some participants witnessed inappropriate safe discharge processes and insufficient attention from nursing staff regarding patient education.

    “Some participants witnessed inappropriate safe discharge processes and insufficient attention from nursing staff regarding patient education.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    A limited number of participants mentioned assertive behavior when faced with ethical challenges or when nurses failed to meet care standards, and they took appropriate action by relying on their knowledge.

    “However, a limited number of participants also mentioned their assertive behavior when faced with ethical challenges or when nurses failed to meet care standards. They took appropriate action by relying on their knowledge.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    The sub-categories under "Inadequate Ethical Reasoning Skills" are "Limited Identification of Instances of Deviation from Ethical Standards," "Student Reflection in Challenging Situations," and "The Passive Behavior in Ethical Issues."

    “The sub-categories of “Limited Identification of Instances of Deviation from Ethical Standards,” “Student Reflection in Challenging Situations,” and “The Passive Behavior in Ethical Issues” were grouped under the higher-level abstract entitled “Inadequate Ethical Reasoning Skills.””
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Students stated they have no responsibility in the patient care process and that the nurse in charge should be accountable.

    “They also stated they have no responsibility in the patient care process and that the nurse in charge should be accountable.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Participants stated that when faced with ethical challenges or when they observe nurses' lack of attention to ethical principles or their mistakes, they analyze the situation and are cautious in reporting errors.

    “Participants stated that when faced ethical challenges or when they observe nurses’ lack of attention to ethical principles or their mistakes, they analyze the situation and are cautious in reporting errors.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Students feel they lack the authority to express their views and perform independent procedures in the clinical setting.

    “Additionally, students feel they lack the authority to express their views and perform independent procedures in this setting.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Nurses did not establish respectful communication with internship nursing students, sometimes in the presence of the patient.

    “The nurses did not establish respectful communication with the internship nursing students. Sometimes, this disrespectful behavior occurred in the presence of the patient.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The sub-categories under "Insufficient Ethical Preparation" are "Ineffectiveness of Ethics Courses in Addressing Ethical Challenges in the Clinical Setting" and "Feeling Incapable of Handling Ethical Issues Due to Student Status."

    “Due to their similarity and compatibility, two sub-categories: “Ineffectiveness of Ethics Courses in Addressing Ethical Issues in the Clinical Setting” and “Feeling Incapable of Handling Ethical Issues Due to Student Status” were grouped under the higher-level abstract “Insufficient Ethical Preparation”.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    To achieve confirmability, peer checks and audit trails were employed.

    “To achieve the confirmability, peer checks and audit trails were employed.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The present study reached saturation after the 13th interview, and two additional interviews were conducted to ensure data saturation.

    “The present study reached saturation after the 13th interview, and two additional interviews were conducted to ensure data saturation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The lack of a practical and efficient approach to nursing ethics education confuses nursing students and prevents them from acquiring knowledge and skills related to ethics.

    “The lack of a practical and efficient approach to nursing ethics education confuses nursing students and prevents them from acquiring knowledge and skills related to ethics [23].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [23] Robichaux C, Grace P, Bartlett J, Stokes F, Saulo-Lewis M, Turner M. Ethics education for nurses: foundations for an integrated curriculum. J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(3):123–30. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20220109-02. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    Internship nursing students enter the educational environment with inadequate preparation and limited ethical maturity, which often leads to passive behavior when faced with ethical issues.

    “Internship nursing students enter the educational environment with inadequate preparation and limited ethical maturity, which often leads to passive behavior when faced with ethical issues.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    To meet transferability, participants were selected with a wide range of diversity, and the research process and findings were carefully described and detailed.

    “To meet the criterion of transferability, participants were selected with a wide range of diversity. The research process and findings were carefully described and detailed to address this concern, facilitating the transfer and replication of findings in similar studies.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Nursing students experienced ethical dilemmas in clinical settings, such as unprofessional communication with patients by healthcare staff, disregard for patient confidentiality, neglect of patient privacy, discrimination against patients based on socioeconomic status, disclosure of truth to terminally ill patients, euthanasia, and patient resuscitation.

    “Prior studies have revealed that nursing students experienced ethical dilemmas in clinical settings, such as unprofessional communication with patients by healthcare staff, disregard for patient confidentiality, neglect of patient privacy, discrimination against patients based on socioeconomic status, disclosure of truth to terminally ill patients, euthanasia, and patient resuscitation [6, 18, 19]”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [6] Yeom H-A, Ahn S-H, Kim S-J. Effects of ethics education on moral sensitivity of nursing students. Nursing Ethics.2017.24(66).644– 52. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733015622060 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [18] Rizalar S, Baltaci N. Ethical Decision-Making levels of nurses and its affecting factors. Int J Caring Sci. 2020;13(1):42–52.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [19] Erdil F, Korkmaz F. Ethical problems observed by student nurses. Nurs Ethics. 2009;16(5):589–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733009106651. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    Internship students' ethical behavior can facilitate complex clinical judgments.

    “and their ethical behavior can facilitate complex clinical judgments”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    To establish credibility, the researcher engaged in prolonged immersion in the data, dedicating sufficient time to data collection and analysis, and continuously comparing data sets.

    “To establish credibility, the researcher engaged in prolonged immersion in the data, dedicating sufficient time to data collection and analysis, and continuously comparing data sets.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    To ensure dependability, the extracted codes were shared and reviewed by participants, then adjusted based on their feedback.

    “To ensure the dependability of the extracted codes, they were shared and reviewed by participants, then adjusted based on their feedback.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    97% of nursing students in Iran encountered at least one ethical challenge.

    “Based on a study in Iran, 97% of nursing students encountered at least one ethical challenge, and 48% declared that their ethical challenges had not been resolved [17].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [17] Mehdipour-Rabori R, Dehghan M, Nematollahi M. Nursing students’ ethical challenges in the clinical settings: A mixed methods study. Nurs Ethics. 2019;26(7–8):1983–91. 10.177/0969733018810766. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Premisereasoning

    The content of ethics education in nursing degrees in Iran is inconsistent, highly variable, and lacks a basic structure.

    “however, despite the importance of this issue, the content of ethics education in nursing degrees in Iran is inconsistent, highly variable, and lacks a basic structure.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Nurses have expressed concerns about nursing students' inability to make prompt and rational decisions while facing ethical dilemmas, attributing this to a lack of essential nursing skills such as moral awareness and sound judgment.

    “Nurses also have expressed concerns about nursing students’ inability to make prompt and rational decisions while facing ethical dilemmas, attributing this to a lack of essential nursing skills such as moral awareness and sound judgment [20, 21].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [20] Chen Q, Su X, Liu S, Miao K, Fang H. The relationship between moral sensitivity and professional values, and ethical decision-making in nursing students. Nurse Educ Today. 2021;105:1050561–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105056. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [21] Sethi S, Pardeshi G, Kishore J. Communication skills for interns: evolution and assessment of a training workshop in a medical college of new Delhi. Int J Healthc Educ Med Inf. 2019;6(2):17–22.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    48% of nursing students in Iran declared that their ethical challenges had not been resolved.

    “Based on a study in Iran, 97% of nursing students encountered at least one ethical challenge, and 48% declared that their ethical challenges had not been resolved [17].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [17] Mehdipour-Rabori R, Dehghan M, Nematollahi M. Nursing students’ ethical challenges in the clinical settings: A mixed methods study. Nurs Ethics. 2019;26(7–8):1983–91. 10.177/0969733018810766. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    A pilot interview was conducted before beginning the study to gain an initial understanding of the subject.

    “Before beginning the study, a pilot interview was conducted to gain an initial understanding of the subject.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Nursing students often lack experience, talent, and courage to handle ethical dilemmas effectively, indicating lower moral maturity compared to professional nurses.

    “Nursing students, however, often lack the experience, talent, and courage to handle ethical dilemmas effectively, indicating a lower level of moral maturity compared to professional nurses [32, 33].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [32] Evans BC, Bendel R. Cognitive and ethical maturity in baccalaureate nursing students: did a class using narrative pedagogy make a difference? Nurs Educ Perspect. 2004;25(4):188–95.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [33] Gibson E, Duke G, Alfred D. Exploring the relationships among moral distress, moral courage, and moral resilience in undergraduate nursing students. J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(7):392–5. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20200617-07. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    Internship students have limited ethical maturity when faced with ethical issues, affecting their ability to manage ethical dilemmas.

    “Our study results revealed that internship students have limited ethical maturity when faced with ethical issues, affecting their ability to manage ethical dilemmas.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Previous studies emphasized insufficient readiness and challenges of students entering the clinical environment, and considered lack of necessary knowledge and skills before entering the clinical environment disrupts their learning process.

    “The previous studies also emphasized the insufficient readiness and challenges of students to enter the clinical environment, and considered that the lack of necessary knowledge and skills before entering the clinical environment disrupts their learning process in the clinical setting, which is in line with this study [13, 34, 35].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [13] Farzi S, Shahriari M, Farzi S. Exploring the challenges of clinical education in nursing and strategies to improve it: A qualitative study. J Educ Health Promotion. 2018;7:115:1–8. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_169_17. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [34] Jamshidi N, Molazem Z, Sharif F, Torabizadeh C, Najafi-Kalyani M. The challenges of nursing students in the clinical learning environment: A qualitative study. Sci World J 2016; Article ID 1846178:1–8: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/1846178 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [35] Killam LA, Heerschap C. Challenges to student learning in the clinical setting: A qualitative descriptive study. Nurse Educ Today. 2013;33:684–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2012.10.008. source

      Not checked in the free run.

32 of 32

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Existing research methodologies in this area primarily rely on qualitative interviews, often feature small sample sizes, and include few randomized controlled trials; small overall sample sizes limit generalizability and statistical power.

    “Existing research methodologies present several limitations: on one hand, mainstream studies primarily rely on qualitative interviews, often feature small sample sizes, and include few randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The generally small overall sample sizes limit the generalizability and statistical power of the conclusions [33–37].”

    From Exploring the integration of AI and national quality courses in China: a study on teaching practices in nursing smart education (2025) · cites this paper as [33]

    The Methods (Study design and Data collection; page unavailable) describe a qualitative study based on interviews with 15 students, supporting this paper as one example of an interview-based study with a small sample. The paper does not establish that such methods predominate across the field, that RCTs are scarce, or that small samples generally limit statistical power. Its Limitations section (page unavailable) discusses differences between the Iranian setting and other contexts, not statistical power. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Non-native residence percentage is incorrect

    Minor

    Eight of 15 participants is 53.33%, not the reported 55.33%.

    Reported 55.33 · recomputed 53.333333

  • Conflicting MAXQDA versions

    Minor

    The abstract says MAXQDA version 2022 was used for data management, while the data-analysis section says MAXQDA 2020 was used for the same purpose.

2 of 2

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 11

  1. Ulrich M, Taylor C, Soeken C, O’Donnell K, Farrar P, Marion A, Danis, et al. Everyday ethics: ethical issues and stress in nursing practice. J Adv Nurs. 2010;66(11). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.365-2648.010.05425.x. · DOI
  2. Khandan M, Abbas Zadeh A, Bahram PA. The relationship between nurses’ knowledge and attitude about nursing ethics codes and determining effective factors. J Islam Azad Univ Med Sci. 2015;25(4):299–304.
  3. Mokhtari-Lakeh N, Nafar M, Ghanbari-Khanghah A, Kazemnezhad L. Nursing students’ views on code of ethics, commitment to the ethic of academic dishonesty, and neutralization behaviors. Holist Nurs Midwifery J. 2014;15(3):64–71. (Persian).
  4. Rizalar S, Baltaci N. Ethical Decision-Making levels of nurses and its affecting factors. Int J Caring Sci. 2020;13(1):42–52.
  5. Sethi S, Pardeshi G, Kishore J. Communication skills for interns: evolution and assessment of a training workshop in a medical college of new Delhi. Int J Healthc Educ Med Inf. 2019;6(2):17–22.
  6. Jouzi M, Vanaki Z, Mohammadi E. The essence of nursing students’ clinical competency in the internship period: humanistic patient-centered care. J Educ Ethics Nurs. 2014;2(4):51–9. (Persian).
  7. Borhani F, Alhani F, Mohammadi E, Abbaszadeh A. Students’ perceptions of nursing students from barriers to attaining professional ethics. A qualitative research. Strides in development in medical education. Iran J Study Cent Med Educ Dev. 2012;8(1):67–80. (Persian).
  8. Akrami F, Karimi A, Abbasi M, Shahrivari A. Adapting the principles of biomedical ethics to Islamic principles and values in the context of public health policy. J Study Religions Ideologies. 2018;17(49):46–59.
  9. Aghababaei N. Measuring attitudes towards euthanasia. J Med Ethics History. 2011;5(1):59–70. (Persian).
  10. Zirak M, Hasankhani H, Parizad N. The ethical reasoning ability of nurses and nursing students: a literature review. Iran J Med Ethics History Med. 2014;7(6):1–14. (Persian).
  11. Kiani F, Balouchi A, Shahsavani A. Investigation of nursing students’ verbal communication quality during patients’ education in Zahedan hospitals: Southeast of Iran. Global J Health Sci. 2016;8(9):1–6. https://doi.org/10.5539/gets. · DOI

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Authors
Heidari, T., Jouybari, L., Borhani, F., & Sabzi, Z.
Affiliations
  • Golestan University of Medical Sciences (IR)
  • Shahid Beheshti University (IR)
Corresponding author
Sabzi, Zahra
ORCID
Venue
BMC Medical Ethics
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2025-07-11
Volume
26
Issue
1
Pages
97-97
ISSN
1472-6939 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12910-025-01254-w
PMC
PMC12247464
OpenAlex
W4412192041
Semantic Scholar
55063bb421ce977afd2cf7b8eb64623a28516482
Cited by
6
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3
FWCI
7.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Medical Ethics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Golestan University of Medical Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Ethics in medical practice
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ethics and bioethics in healthcare
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Ethics in Business and Education
Keywords
nursing ethics, ethical dilemmas, nursing students, clinical internship, moral maturity, moral reasoning, clinical environment
MeSH terms
Ethical Dilemmas, Adult, Attitude of Health Personnel, Ethics, Nursing, Female, Humans, Internship and Residency, Iran, Male, Students, Nursing, Qualitative Research

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