Investigating the Ethical Challenges and Quality of Care for Patients on Psychiatric Units With Aggressive Behaviors in Iraq

Abstract

Patient aggression is a global health care problem. This study examined the impact of patient aggression on the quality of care that patients receive as perceived by their family members and the ethical challenges involved from the nurse’s perspective. A descriptive–analytical method was used. The participants of this study were nurses working on psychiatric units and family members of patients in Iraq. Two questionnaires were used: one on nursing care quality and one on ethical challenges in clinical situations. The results showed that the quality of care for these patients was reduced, with a M ± SD score of 115.65 ± 11.23. The mean score of the ethical challenges questionnaire was 42.35 ± 3.23, which shows a high level of ethical challenges in working with aggressive patients. The study concludes that ethical challenges in providing care for aggressive patients are common, and the quality of care with these patients is negatively affected.