Abstract: Objective To understand the current status of moral sensitivity among psychiatric nurses, to analyze it influencing factors, and to provide reference for future research. Method Convenience sampling was used to select 458 psychiatric nurses from four tertiary grade-A hospitals in Hunan Province, and a cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Chinese version of the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire, the Caring Ability Inventory, and the Chinese version of the Jeffersonian Empathy Scale. Results The total score of Chinese version of the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire was 39.29±6.05, and the mean score of the entries was 4.32±0.67; the total score of Chinese version of the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire was positively correlated with the total score of Caring Ability Inventory (r=0.426, P<0.01), and with the total score of empathy (r=0.621, P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age, years of work experience, with ethics-related knowledge provided by the hospital or not, whether acquiring ethics-related knowledge and watch videos actively, the total score of humanistic caring competence, and the total score of empathy competence were the main factors affecting moral sensitivity (P<0.05). Conclusion The moral sensitivity of psychiatric nurses is at a moderately high level, and is affected by age, years of work experience, with ethics-related knowledge provided by the hospital or not, whether acquiring ethics-related knowledge and watch videos actively, and humanistic caring ability and empathic ability. Moral sensitivity still needs to be improved, and the hospital administrators should create a strong ethical and patient-centered humanistic caring atmosphere, and strengthen the empathic ability of psychiatric nurses, so as to improve the moral sensitivity of the nurses.

Key words: psychiatric nurses, moral sensitivity, empathy, humanistic care