Moral intelligence, clinical placement experience and professional behaviors among Iranian undergraduate nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing program: A descriptive correlational study.

Abstract Aims This study was intended to examine the relationship of both moral intelligence (MI) and Clinical Placement Experience (CPE) with the level of nursing students' professional behaviors (PB). Background The foundation of belief, belonging and ethical values develop PB as a meaningful attribute during the period students and caring for patients. Design A descriptive correlational study was conducted. Methods Descriptive data were derived from the Belongingness Scale-Clinical Placement Experience (BES-CPE), the Moral Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ) and the Nursing Students Professional Behaviors Scale (NSPBS) including 200 students (response rate 94.5%). Results We found a statistically strong positive correlation between NSPB, MI and CPE. The regression model accounted for 57.8% of the variance in NSPB; CPE and MI were significant explanatory variables of NSPB. Moreover, the non-employed dormitory students had a significant statistical difference in the scores of all three variables. Female students had significantly higher CPE and MI (p˂0.05). Conclusions According to our findings, preventive and mediation endeavors for nursing students can explicitly target their behavioral skills to reduce perceived rejection and improve morality. As a result, an optimal plan to improve the quality of professional training courses for students should be designed based on the comprehension of clinical belonging and moral intelligence.