Objective: Nursing ethics is the rational and sustainable use of communication, knowledge, clinical skills, emotions and values in nursing practice. This study aimed to discover and explain factors that affect nursing ethics in nursing practice at Aksum university hospital. This qualitative study was conducted using content analysis approach. Twenty five nurses with at least 2 years of experience participated in the study; they were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: After encoding and classifying the data, five major categories were identified: individual character and responsibility, communication challenges, organizational preconditions, support systems, educational and cultural development. To conclude knowledge of professional ethics and its contributing factors could help nurses and healthcare professionals provide better services for patients. At the same time, such understanding would be valuable for educational administrators for effective planning and management.