Original Manuscript Ethical conflicts and their characteristics among critical care nurses Teresa Lluch-Canut University of Barcelona, Spain Carlos Sequeira Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto, Portugal Anna Falco ´ -Pegueroles University of Barcelona, Spain Jose ´ Anto ´ nio Pinho Centro Hospitalar Santo Anto ´ nio do Porto, Portugal Albina Rodrigues-Ferreira Centro Hospitalar San Joa ˆo do Porto, Portugal Joan Gua `rdia Olmos University of Barcelona, Spain Juan Roldan-Merino Campus Docent Sant Joan de De ´u Fundacio ´ Privada, Spain Abstract Introduction: Ethical conflict is a phenomenon that has been under study over the last three decades, especially the types moral dilemma and moral distress in the field of nursing care. However, ethical problems and their idiosyncrasies need to be further explored. Aim: The objectives of this study were, first, to obtain a transcultural Portuguese-language adaptation and validation of the Ethical Conflict Nursing Questionnaire–Critical Care Version and, second, to analyse Portuguese critical care nurses’ level of exposure to ethical conflict and its characteristics. Methods: A cross-cultural validation and descriptive, prospective and correlational study. The sample was made for 184 critical care nurses in 2016. Ethical Considerations: The study was authorised by Bioethics Commission of the University of Barcelona, the Associac ¸a ˆo de Apoio ao Servic ¸o de Cuidados Intensivos do Centro Hospitalar do Porto and the Sociedade Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Sau ´de Mental. Findings: The Portuguese version of the Ethical Conflict Nursing Questionnaire–Critical Care Version was a valid and reliable instrument to measure exposure to conflict. Moral outrage was the most common type Corresponding author: Anna Falco ´ -Pegueroles, Department of Fundamental Care and Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Campus Bellvitge, C/Feixa Llarga, s/n. Pavello ´ de Govern, 3a planta, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. Email: annafalco@ub.edu Nursing Ethics 1–17 ª The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions 10.1177/0969733019857785 journals.sagepub.com/home/nej