Moral Reasoning and Moral Behavior Among Selected Groups of Practicing Nurses

This study examined the relationship between moral reasoning and moral behavior in 79 practicing nurses. Moral reasoning was measured by Rest's Defining Issues Test. Judgments about Nursing Decisions (JAND), developed by the investigator, was used to measure moral behavior. JAND is compromised of seven stories, each depicting a nurse in an ethical dilemma, with a total of 48 items. It measures two components of moral behavior: knowledge and valuation of ideal moral behavior and perception of realistic moral behavior. The hypothesis that moral reasoning would be positively related to knowledge and valuation of ideal moral behavior was tested by Pearson product moment correlation; the obtained coefficient of .28 was significant at the .01 level. The hypothesis that moral reasoning would be positively related to nurses' perception of realistic moral behavior was also tested by Pearson product moment correlation; the obtained coefficient of .19 was significant at the .05 level. Additional analyses showed significant differences in the knowledge and valuation component of JAND between educational groups, ethnic groups, age groups, and years of practice in nursing; but, there were no differences between these groups with respect to the perception of realist moral behavior component of JAND. Implications of the findings for nursing practice, education, and research are discussed.