Article Validation of the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey for older people care

Background: The exploration of the ethical climate in the care settings for older people is highlighted in the literature, and it has been associated with various aspects of clinical practice and nurses ’ jobs. However, ethical climate is seldom studied in the older people care context. Valid, reliable, feasible measures are needed for the measurement of ethical climate. Objectives: This study aimed to test the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey in healthcare settings for older people. Design: A non-experimental cross-sectional study design was employed, and a survey using question-naires, including the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and multivariable methods. Participants and research context: Survey data were collected from a sample of nurses working in the care settings for older people in Finland (N 1513, n 874, response rate 58%) in 2011. Ethical considerations: This study was conducted according to good scientific inquiry guidelines, and ethical approval was obtained from the university ethics committee. Results: The mean score for the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey total was 3.85 (standard deviatio