Ethical Self-Efficacy as Experienced by Nursing Professionals.

Why It Needs Attention and a Proposal for a Definition.

Resumen

The requirement to act ethically is inherent to the professional delivery of nursing care. It is in this context that nursing professionals’ self-efficacy, and their expectation of self-efficacy, are drawing increasing research attention. Discourse on ethical challenges may reference individual actions and decisions, and may also engage with institutional and societal conditions. We recognise the utility, particularly in the context of nursing education generally and ethics education specifically, of setting out a distinct definition of ethical self-efficacy. Accordingly, this article seeks to outline the particular concept of perceived ethical self-efficacy among nursing professionals, alongside detailing the factors that influence experienced or perceived ethical self-efficacy.