Psychological Capital and Spiritual Well-Being as Predictors of Moral Sensitivity in Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Moral sensitivity is a core component of ethical competence in nursing. However, the role of personal psychological and existential resources particularly psychological capital and spiritual well-being in shaping this sensitivity remains underexplored among nursing students. This study aimed to examine the relationships between psychological capital, spiritual well-being, and moral sensitivity, and to identify their predictive value among nursing students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among 200 nursing students with census sampling. Validated scales were used to measure psychological capital (PCQ), spiritual well-being (SWBS), and moral sensitivity (MSQ). Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to assess the independent and combined effects of the predictors. Results Participants showed relatively high levels of psychological capital (M = 111.5, SD = 14.2) and moral sensitivity (M = 94.2, SD = 12.0), and moderately high spiritual well-being (M = 82.7, SD = 12.2). Strong positive correlations were found between all main variables (r = 0.51–0.61, p < 0.001). Hierarchical regression revealed that both psychological capital (β = 0.38, p < 0.001) and spiritual well-being (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) were significant independent predictors of moral sensitivity, collectively explaining 45% of its variance. Conclusion Psychological capital and spiritual well-being appear to be closely related to moral sensitivity in nursing students. This suggests that educational efforts focused on strengthening these inner resources could help foster ethical competence. Future interventional studies are needed to test this possibility.