Table 3 The 11 pre-identified ethical issues: mean importance and mean stress scores

1.

Protecting patients' rights

3.82

1

1.73

11

2.

Care of patients' quality of life

3.79

2

1.84

10

3.

Providing care with possible risks to own health and safety

3.77

3

2.37

5^c

4.

Respecting informed consent by patients to treatment

3.57

4

1.94

9

5.

Use of physical or chemical restraints on patients

2.78

7

2.07

8

6.

Determining when death occurs

2.35

9

2.19

7

7.

Prolonging dying process without appropriate reason

2.04

11

2.37

5^c

8.

Hiding information regarding patients' actual condition from patients or family

2.28

10

2.43

4

9.

Working with unethical or incompetent colleague

2.44

8

3.10

1

10.

Problems of staffing that limit patients' access to nursing care

3.18

5

2.87

2

11.

Problems of medical resource management that limit patients' access to nursing care

3.13

6

2.77

3