Scand J Caring Sci. 2026 Mar;40(1):e70195. doi: 10.1111/scs.70195.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Unfinished nursing care refers to situations in which necessary nursing care is insufficient, incomplete, or not provided at all. Nursing students’ evaluations of unfinished nursing care based on their clinical observations are important indicators of their professional awareness and ethical development.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the relationship between nursing students’ ethical values and their perceptions of unfinished nursing care.
METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was reported in accordance with the STROBE guidelines. The research was conducted between March 3 and May 30, 2025, with 615 students enrolled in the nursing department of a university located in western Türkiye. Data were collected using the ‘Descriptive Information Form’, the Unfinished Nursing Care Survey for Students, and the Ethical Values Scale for Students Studying in Health Sciences. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to analyse the data.
RESULTS: The mean total score for interventions related to unfinished nursing care was 73.83 ± 12.08, and the mean score for reasons underlying unfinished care was 76.22 ± 13.35. The mean score for ethical values was 117.70 ± 15.08. According to the multiple regression analysis, significant predictors of unfinished nursing care included academic year level (β = 0.094, p = 0.031) and ethical values (β = 0.217, p < 0.001) (R2 = 0.065, F = 7.998, p < 0.001). Among these predictors, ethical values were identified as the strongest predictor of unfinished nursing care levels.
CONCLUSION: Higher levels of ethical values among nursing students were associated with lower levels of unfinished nursing care. These findings suggest that nursing education programs should incorporate content aimed at strengthening students’ ethical values. These findings highlight the importance of integrating ethics education and reflective clinical supervision into nursing curricula to enhance students’ ethical competence and professional development.
PMID:41652306 | DOI:10.1111/scs.70195
