Ethics Education of Medical Staff and Associates

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Erica Laethem ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Moral Agency ◽  
Ethics Education ◽  
Care Ethics ◽  
Health Care Ethics ◽  
Moral Norms ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Faith And Reason ◽  
Catholic Health Care

Ethics education is an essential obligation of a robust health care ethics service. Although there is no one-size-fits all approach, all ethics education should be proactive and therefore should avoid portraying ethics as mere compliance with moral norms or as an esoteric activity that applies only in cases of moral conflict. Such a negative approach can lead to an ethics of minimums and to the disempowerment of moral agency. In addition, ethics education should promote ethics competency and virtue for the sake of human flourishing through instruction and habituation. To serve the individuals from diverse backgrounds who work in Catholic health care, ethics education should reflect the Catholic teaching that faith and reason are compatible, and that ethics need not be bound to an exclusively theological approach. This will foster a flourishing moral community where medical staff and associates are united by a common mission and ethical commitments.

scholarly journals Team-Based Learning in Medical Ethics Education: Evaluation and Preferences of Students in Oman

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Simon
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Ethics ◽  
Ethics Education ◽  
Care Ethics ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Health Care Ethics ◽  
Medical Ethics Education ◽  
Team Based Learning ◽  
Ethics Course ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of integrating team-based learning sessions in undergraduate medical ethics education. Though used effectively in other pre-clinical courses, team-based learning is not frequently used in medical ethics education. Student’s accountability for learning, preference for team-based learning, and satisfaction were studied. Methods: Three team-based learning sessions covering focal topics in medical ethics was introduced in the pre-clinical Health Care Ethics course for students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, National University of Science and Technology. On the completion of three modules, the team-based learning student assessment instrument (TBL-SAI) by Heidi Mennenga was used to evaluate student perceptions. To this aim, 118 students who had registered for the Health Care Ethics course completed the survey. Results: The findings indicated that students reported a positive experience of team-based learning in medical ethics education. Students also indicated high accountability for their learning, a high preference for team-based learning to lectures in the medical ethics course, and high satisfaction. Conclusions: Team-based learning is thus preferred by students to cover topics and courses in medical ethics. Integrating team-based modules in medical ethics education will enhance self-directed learning, improve teamwork, and help students effectively recall and apply information. It is therefore recommended to integrate team-based learning sessions in medical ethics education.

scholarly journals Health care ethics programs in U.S. Hospitals: results from a National Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Danis ◽  
Ellen Fox ◽  
Anita Tarzian ◽  
Christopher C. Duke
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Ethics Education ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Care Ethics ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Health Care Ethics ◽  
Ethics Programs ◽  
Financial Compensation ◽  
Urban Hospitals

Abstract Background As hospitals have grown more complex, the ethical concerns they confront have grown correspondingly complicated. Many hospitals have consequently developed health care ethics programs (HCEPs) that include far more than ethics consultation services alone. Yet systematic research on these programs is lacking. Methods Based on a national, cross-sectional survey of a stratified sample of 600 US hospitals, we report on the prevalence, scope, activities, staffing, workload, financial compensation, and greatest challenges facing HCEPs. Results Among 372 hospitals whose informants responded to an online survey, 97% of hospitals have HCEPs. Their scope includes clinical ethics functions in virtually all hospitals, but includes other functions in far fewer hospitals: ethical leadership (35.7%), regulatory compliance (29.0%), business ethics (26.2%), and research ethics (12.6%). HCEPs are responsible for providing ongoing ethics education to various target audiences including all staff (77.0%), nurses (59.9%), staff physicians (49.0%), hospital leadership (44.2%), medical residents (20.3%) and the community/general public (18.4%). HCEPs staff are most commonly involved in policy work through review of existing policies but are less often involved in development of new policies. HCEPs have an ethics representative in executive leadership in 80.5% of hospitals, have representation on other hospital committees in 40.7%, are actively engaged in community outreach in 22.6%, and lead large-scale ethics quality improvement initiatives in 17.7%. In general, major teaching hospitals and urban hospitals have the most highly integrated ethics programs with the broadest scope and greatest number of activities. Larger hospitals, academically affiliated hospitals, and urban hospitals have significantly more individuals performing HCEP work and significantly more individuals receiving financial compensation specifically for that work. Overall, the most common greatest challenge facing HCEPs is resource shortages, whereas underutilization is the most common greatest challenge for hospitals with fewer than 100 beds. Respondents’ strategies for managing challenges include staff training and additional funds. Conclusions While this study must be cautiously interpreted due to its limitations, the findings may be useful for understanding the characteristics of HCEPs in US hospitals and the factors associated with these characteristics. This information may contribute to exploring ways to strengthen HCEPs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document