Education and Ethics In Nursing ISSN: 2322-5300

Predicting Ethical Decision-Making Based on Moral Sensitivity and Moral Intelligence Mediated by Family Life Satisfaction in Nurses

10.22034/ethic.2026.2085860.1227
Volume 15, Issue 1
June 2026
Pages 43-56
Education and Ethics In Nursing ISSN: 2322-5300

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Zahra Soltanzadeh 1
azra Mohammadpanah Ardakan 2
Yasser Rezapour Mirsaleh 1
Zahrasadat Loghmani 1

1 Department of Counseling, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Yazd, Iran

2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Yazd, Iran

Abstract
Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the prediction of ethical decision-making based on moral sensitivity and moral intelligence through satisfaction with family life in nurses.
Methods: The statistical population of the study included all married nurses working in hospitals in Khuzestan province in 1403. From among them, a sample of 300 people was randomly selected using the convenience sampling method. The questionnaires for managing impact, moral intelligence (MCI), moral sensitivity (MSQ), and satisfaction with family life (SWFL) were used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling and SPSS-26 and AMOS-24 software.
Findings: The findings showed that moral intelligence has a direct effect on nurses' ethical decision-making and the relationship between moral intelligence and nurses' ethical decision-making is directly equal to and β=0.37. Moral sensitivity has a direct effect on nurses' ethical decision-making, and the relationship between moral sensitivity and nurses' ethical decision-making is directly equal to β=0.69, and satisfaction with family life has a direct effect on nurses' ethical decision-making, and the relationship between satisfaction with family life and ethical decision-making is directly equal to β=0.35. Also, moral intelligence has an indirect and significant effect on nurses' ethical decision-making through the mediation of nurses' family life satisfaction at a significance level of 0.008. In addition, moral sensitivity has an indirect and significant effect on nurses' ethical decision-making through the mediation of nurses' family life satisfaction at a significance level of 0.13. Also, the research model for explaining ethical decision-making based on moral intelligence and moral sensitivity with the mediating role of family life satisfaction in the data has a good fit.
Results: Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that by improving and empowering ethical decision-making skills, moral intelligence, and moral sensitivity, the level of satisfaction with nurses' family life can be improved.

Keywords

Ethical decision-making
moral intelligence
moral sensitivity
nurses
marital satisfaction
Subjects
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