Ethical competence: An integrative review

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Lechasseur ◽  
Chantal Caux ◽  
Stéphanie Dollé ◽  
Alain Legault
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Integrative Review ◽  
Ethical Sensitivity ◽  
Nursing Ethics ◽  
Ethical Competence ◽  
University Curriculum

Background: Ethics, being a fundamental component of nursing practice, must be integrated in the nursing education curriculum. Even though different bodies are promoting ethics and nursing researchers have already carried out work as regards this concept, it still remains difficult to clearly identify the components of this competence. Objective: This integrative review intends to clarify this point in addition to better defining ethical competence in the context of nursing practice. Method: An integrative review was carried out, for the 2009–2014 period, in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases and in the journal Nursing Ethics. The keywords nursing ethics or ethical competence were used in order to make sure to widely encompass the concept of “ethical competence” in the case of a university curriculum in nursing. In the end, 89 articles were selected. Ethical consideration: We have respected the ethical requirements required regarding the sources and authorship. There is no conflict of interest in this literature review. Results: Ethical sensitivity, Ethical knowledge, Ethical reflection, Ethical decision-making, Ethical action, and Ethical behavior are the most frequently used terms with regard to ethical competence in nursing. They were then defined so as to better ascertain the possible components of ethical competence in nursing. Conclusion: Even though ethical competence represents a sine qua non competence in nursing practice, no consensus can be found in literature with respect to its definition. The identification of its components and their relationships resulting from this integrative review adds to the clarification of its definition. It paves the way for other studies that will contribute to a better understanding of its development, especially among nursing students and practicing nurses, as well as the factors that may exert an influence. More adapted education strategies can thus be put forward to support its development.

The development and implications of a case-based computer program to train ethical decision-making

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 943-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun-Jun Park
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Computer Program ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Nursing Ethics ◽  
Ethics Course ◽  
Case Based

To effectively train ethical decision-making of nursing students, a case-based computer program was developed using Flash animation. Seven ethical cases collected from practicing registered nurses’ actual clinical experiences and a six-step Integrated Ethical Decision-Making Model developed by the author were employed in the program. In total, 251 undergraduate students from three nursing schools used the program in their nursing ethics course. The usability of the program and its usefulness in improving 11 abilities needed in ethical decision-making were measured; it scored higher than 4 on a 5-point scale. Of the students, 82% recommended the program as a valuable complementary tool in the teaching of a nursing ethics course. A variety of encouraging and positive experiences were reported by the students. The computer program is likely to be usefully practical in the training of abstract skills to nursing students, though certain challenges remain, such as the precise understanding of cognitive or affective responses to ethical issues.

Nursing Ethics Education: are we really delivering the good(s)?

2005 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Woods
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Nurse Educators ◽  
Ethics Education ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Student Nurses ◽  
Nursing Ethics ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Current Health

The vast majority of research in nursing ethics over the last decade indicates that nurses may not be fully prepared to ‘deliver the good(s)’ for their patients, or to contribute appropriately in the wider current health care climate. When suitable research projects were evaluated for this article, one key question emerged: if nurses are educationally better prepared than ever before to exercise their ethical decision-making skills, why does research still indicate that the expected practice-based improvements remain elusive? Hence, a number of ideas gleaned from recent research about the current nature of nursing ethics, and especially teaching nursing ethics to student nurses, are analysed and critiqued in this article, which concludes with a cluster of ideas and conclusions based on that analysis. It is hoped that such a review may serve as a catalyst for nurse educators to re-examine their teaching practices with a view to enhancing good (i.e. ethical) nursing practice through educational means.

Effects of an ethical empowerment program on critical care nurses’ ethical decision-making

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 1256-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Jamshidian ◽  
Mohsen Shahriari ◽  
Mohsen Rezaei Aderyani
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Ethical Sensitivity ◽  
Nursing Ethics ◽  
Nurse Training ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Empowerment Program

Background: Nurses require empowerment if they are to make ethical decisions. Ethical empowerment has always been one of the main concerns in nurse training programs. Research aim: The present study was conducted to determine the effect of an ethical empowerment program on critical care nurses’ ethical decision-making. Research design: This is a clinical trial study with two groups and pre and post design. Participants and research context: In this study, 60 nurses working in Intensive Care Unit were selected through random sampling and then divided into a control and an experimental group after filling out the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire. Both groups completed the questionnaire again immediately and 2 months after the ethical empowerment workshop had been held for the experimental group. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS-16 using descriptive and inferential statistics. Ethical considerations: The goals of the study were explained to the participants and then a written informed consent was received from them. Findings: The results showed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of their ethical sensitivity scores at the beginning of the study; however, immediately and 2 months after the intervention, the mean score increased significantly in the experimental group. Moreover, the scores obtained 2 months after the workshop increased compared to the pre-intervention scores but showed a drop compared to the scores reported immediately after the workshop. Discussion: The ethical empowerment program, given to the critical care nurses in this study, improved their ethical sensitivity in making decisions significantly over time. Despite the extensive methods, available for teaching nursing ethics, the ethical empowerment program, adopted in this study, had long-lasting effects in terms of ameliorating the process of ethical decision-making in clinical situations. Conclusion: The ethical empowerment of nurses requires the adoption and application of proper methods and patterns of complying with nursing ethics.

Supporting Ethical Decision Making – A Tool for Ethical Reflection on Care Technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 84-85
Author(s):  
Katrin Grüber ◽  
◽  
Elena Loevskaya ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Ethical Reflection ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Home Context ◽  
Low Threshold ◽  
Care Innovation

"The tool FreTiP (Fragen zur ethischen Reflexion von digitalen Technologien in der Pflegepraxis – questions on ethical reflection of digital technologies in nursing practice) was developed in 2020 by the Institute Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaft (IMEW) as part of ELSI research in the PPZ-Berlin project. Our aim was to develop an instrument that stimulates and supports ethical reflection processes in the application of digital care innovation technologies in practice. Ethical considerations are part of everyday (nursing) life, are closely interwoven with other aspects and are therefore difficult to recognise as such. The starting thesis of our work was that actors in care act on the basis of value concepts that they are more or less aware of. An ethics that is consciously integrated into everyday care takes into account all aspects that are relevant for an action or decision. In this respect, it is important to look at ethics in context and not to understand “ethics” as something isolated, coming from outside. Based on this, the development of the instrument should not consist of “breaking down” ethical concepts and theories to practice, but of ethically locating, structuring and making applicable the experiences, questions and needs of the actors working in nursing practice. Thus, FreTiP is not only to be considered practice-oriented, but also to a certain extent practice-based. The instrument was designed to be suitable for everyday care in clinics, care facilities and in the home context. FreTiP was developed as a low-threshold instrument that can be used flexibly and that takes into account the perspective of patients as well as carers. The development of the instrument was preceded by a triangulated study that included a literature review, interviews and (non-)participatory observations. In the paper, experiences with the ethical reflection tool FreTiP will be presented. "

Professional values, self-esteem, and ethical confidence of baccalaureate nursing students

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trisha A Iacobucci ◽  
Barbara J Daly ◽  
Debbie Lindell ◽  
Mary Quinn Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Baccalaureate Nursing ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Baccalaureate Nursing Students ◽  
Ethical Behaviors ◽  
Professional Nursing ◽  
Nursing Values

Professional identity and competent ethical behaviors of nursing students are commonly developed through curricular inclusion of professional nursing values education. Despite the enactment of this approach, nursing students continue to express difficulty in managing ethical conflicts encountered in their practice. This descriptive correlational study explores the relationships between professional nursing values, self-esteem, and ethical decision making among senior baccalaureate nursing students. A convenience sample of 47 senior nursing students from the United States were surveyed for their level of internalized professional nursing values (Revised Professional Nursing Values Scale), level of self-esteem (Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale), and perceived level of confidence in ethical decision making. A significant positive relationship (p < 0.05) was found between nursing students’ professional nursing values and levels of self-esteem. The results of this study can be useful to nursing educators whose efforts are focused on promoting professional identity development and competent ethical behaviors of future nurses.

Integrating Simulated Teaching/Learning Strategies in Undergraduate Nursing Education

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Sinclair ◽  
Karen Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group

In this article, the results of a mixed-methods study integrating the use of simulations in a nursing theory course in order to assess students' perceptions of self-efficacy for nursing practice are presented. Nursing students in an intervention group were exposed to a combination of lecture and simulation, and then asked to rate their perceptions of self-efficacy, satisfaction and effectiveness of this combined teaching and learning strategy. Based on Bandura's (1977, 1986) theory of self-efficacy, this study provides data to suggest that students' self-confidence for nursing practice may be increased through the use of simulation as a method of teaching and learning. Students also reported higher levels of satisfaction, effectiveness and consistency with their learning style when exposed to the combination of lecture and simulation than the control group, who were exposed to lecture as the only method of teaching and learning.

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