Validation of a Brazilian version of the moral sensitivity questionnaire

Background:Moral sensitivity has been identified as a foundational component of ethical action. Diminished or absent moral sensitivity can result in deficient care. In this context, assessing moral sensitivity is imperative for designing interventions to facilitate ethical practice and ensure that nurses make appropriate decisions.Objective:The main purpose of this study was to validate a scale for examining the moral sensitivity of Brazilian nurses.Research design:A pre-existing scale, the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire, which was developed by Lutzen, was used after the deletion of three items. The reliability and validity of the scale were examined using Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis, respectively.Participants and research context:Overall, 316 nurses from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, participated in the study.Ethical considerations:This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Research of the Nursing School of the University of Sao Paulo.Findings:The Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire contained ...