Validation Of The Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire Among Nurses, During COVID-19 Pandemic In Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Moral sensitivity refers to to an individual's ability to perceive and respond appropriately to moral elements in a specific situation. Assessing moral sensitivity in this particular context can provide valuable insight into how nurses handle difficult situations, make tough decisions, and uphold their professional integrity and ethical responsibilities. To measure this, a specific questionnaire is necessary for assessment.

Objective: To validate the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire specifically for nurses in Pakistan who have been working during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: A cross-sectional study design was used to gather data through convenience sampling from 298 nurses working at Shalamar and Mayo Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. The data were collected using a questionnaire that was validated by five experts in the field. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and display in the form of table.  

Result: Most of them were females aged 20 to 35, and about 57.7%, worked in public hospitals. The analyzed KMO value (0.838), the Bartlett's test reveals a value of 0.000, which is less than 0.05 and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.924. Moreover the cumulative percentage variance for the 7 factor was (67.9%).

Conclusion:  The MSQ proves to be a suitable tool for assessing moral sensitivity among Pakistani nurses due to its favorable factor structure, strong inter-question correlations, and adherence.  This tool is particularly well suitable for developing country, as it offers easily understandable questions with strong factor analysis.