ABSTRACT
Background Nursing students, the future nursing workforce, are expected to be exposed to ethically challenging situations in their workplaces, and they must be knowledgeable about patients' rights to provide holistic care. However, limited research was cited on the knowledge of nursing students regarding the Bill of Rights and the factors influencing their knowledge. Purpose This study aimed to assess nursing students' knowledge of the patients' bill of rights and determine what factors influence this knowledge in Saudi Arabia. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional research study was conducted with a convenience sample of nursing students (N = 210) in a Saudi nursing college. Data were collected using a questionnaire that consists of three parts: demographic characteristics, knowledge of the patients' bill of rights, and six open-ended and reflective questions. Descriptive statistics and response analysis are used. Results The statistics showed that the total knowledge score about patients' rights ranged from 19 to 34, with a mean of 26.11 ± 2.32, among nursing students. About two-thirds of students reported adequate knowledge (n = 118, 65.5%), compared to those who had inadequate knowledge (n = 62, 34.5%). In addition to academic level and age, students reflected on many factors that shape their ethical knowledge, such as integrated, interprofessional learning experiences, workshops, a supportive and ethical learning environment, and the presence of an ethical committee. Conclusion Continuous efforts to foster ethics education with inspiring learning content and innovative instructional material are vital to improving nursing students' knowledge and readiness. Interprofessional education (IPE) sessions and awareness programs are effective strategies to improve their ethical awareness and knowledge.
