Nurses’ Strategies for Conscience‑based Care Delivery: A Qualitative Study

Conscience is the core of ethical values. It helps nurses protect patients’ rights and provide quality dignified care. Therefore,
assessing nurses’ strategies for conscience-based caremay help facilitate conscience-based care delivery. Aim: This study aimed to explore nurses’
strategies for conscience-based care delivery. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in 2018 on twelve hospital nurses purposively
recruited from four teaching hospitals in Urmia, Iran. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and inductively analyzed through
conventional content analysis. Ethical Considerations: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Urmia University of Medical
Sciences. All the participants were informed of the aim of the study and a written consent was obtained from each of them. Participation in the
study was entirely voluntary and the participants could withdraw at any stage of the study. Results: Participants’ strategies for conscience-based
care delivery were grouped into two main themes, namely self-empowerment for clinical role performance and attempt to deliver care beyond
the routines. Conclusion: Clinical self-empowerment and attempt to deliver care beyond the routines are nurses’ main psychosocial strategies
for conscience-based care delivery. Mentorship programs are recommended for the development of nurses’ time management and clinical
skills and thereby, empower them for conscience-based care delivery. Moreover, continuing education programs and curricular revisions are
recommended to strengthen their religious beliefs.