Nursing values in China: The expectations of registered nurses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the essential professional values of Chinese nurses and their manifestations in the current health-care environment. Data were collected from 29 nurse experts by semi-structured individual interviews or focus groups in Beijing and Shanghai, China. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Seven themes were identified: altruism, caring, trustworthiness, dignity, responsibility for the development of the profession, autonomy, and justice. On the whole, these values were in accordance with the codes of the International Council of Nurses and the Chinese Nursing Association. Additionally, culture and socioeconomic trends were found to have an influence on nurses' understanding and explanation of professional values. The findings of this study provided insight into Chinese nurses' professional values and might contribute to the future development of a culturally sensitive scale to measure nursing values in China. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.