Influence of the ethical climate on workers’ health among healthcare professionals: a systematic review

Influencia del clima ético en la salud del trabajador entre los profesionales de la salud: una revisión sistemática

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To evaluate the influence of the ethical climate on workers’ health among healthcare professionals.

Method:

Systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SciVerse Scopus (Elsevier), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Web of Science. Trained reviewers performed the selection, data extraction, and assessment of methodological quality. Meta-analysis was applied for data synthesis.

Results:

Among the 2644 studies, 20 were included for analysis, in which three (15.0%) articles were classified as high quality (score ≥ 80%), while 17 (85.0%) were classified as regular (score 50-79%). There was a moderate negative correlation between the ethical climate and overall moral distress (r=-0.43; 95%CI -0.50; -0.36) and the frequency of moral distress (r=-0.36; 95%CI -0.45; -0.25), as well as the positive and strong correlation between ethical climate and job satisfaction (r=0.71; 95%CI 0.39-0.88).

Conclusion:

The negative and positive perception of the ethical climate among healthcare professionals, respectively, influenced the increase in moral distress and job satisfaction.

Descriptors:
Ethics; Health personnel; Occupational health; Nursing; Systematic review