Understanding Legal and Ethical Responsibilities: A Study on Nurses’ Knowledge in Pediatric and Neonatal Care Units in Duhok City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Background: In neonatal and pediatric nursing, legal and ethical responsibilities are very complex for the safety and well-being of very vulnerable patients. These responsibilities entail respecting patients' rights, keeping secret information confidential, respecting informed consent, and acting in the best interest of the child or infant in their care. Appreciating all these aspects is the only guarantee for an effective confrontation with neonatal and pediatric nursing practice challenges.Aim: The current study assesses nurses' knowledge and comprehension of legal and ethical responsibilities within pediatric and neonatal care units in Duhok City.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted involving 70 nurses in the Neonatal and Pediatric Care Units of hospitals in Duhok City from 2024 to 2025. Demographic data and relevant knowledge were gathered using a researcher-developed questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews with each nurse. The data were analyzed using appropriate tests via SPSS (ver. 27).Results: More than half of the participants in the study were between the ages of 27 and 32 years (51.4%). The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.06. More than half of the nurses who graduated earned a diploma (58.6%). Most of them (61.54%) were married. Approximately 71.4% of nurses possess a fair understanding of legal and ethical responsibilities. Their knowledge was significantly associated with their Educational Level, Working Area, Years of Experience, and receiving a training course (p<0.05). Nevertheless, no notable correlation was observed between their knowledge and the variables of age and gender (p>0.05).Conclusion: The results indicate that over fifty percent of the nurses were young females with diploma qualifications. Most were married and understood legal and ethical responsibilities in pediatric and neonatal practice. And this level of understanding was closely related to education, work background, years of experience, and training experience. In contrast, age and gender were not statistically related to knowledge levels, indicating that for age and gender, professional and educational modalities prevail in how nurses become aware of their legal and ethical obligations.