Blueprint of ethics content in undergraduate education: A workshop-research study

Abstract

Background

Ethics is a fundamental component of nursing education to increase students’ moral competence and moral reasoning abilities. However, the core ethics content that should be included in undergraduate education has not been established to date at the international level.

Aim

To identify the core contents required in formal undergraduate education to ensure morally competent nurses.

Research Design

An international workshop-research study design in 2023 reported here according to the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research.

Participants and Research Context

Five countries in the context of Promoting a Morally Competent Nurse project participated. In each country, two workshops took place, one with nurse professionals and one with patients’ representatives for a total of 58 individuals (32 and 26, respectively). After being translated into English language, data were categorized deductively. The Dublin Learning Outcomes Descriptors and the blueprint methodology were applied.

Ethical Considerations

The research protocol was ethically approved in every country where the study was performed.

Results

A total of 59 core content elements emerged, with ‘ethics of individualized/tailored/patient-centred care’ (n = 8) and ‘empathy’ (n = 6) as the most suggested. Nearly half (n = 26) of the core content items suggested were reported only once (e.g. ‘priority setting’) while overall several referred to ‘communication skills’ (n = 17). A diverse richness across countries emerged, with some suggesting a few items, and others providing several. Similarly, professionals and patients in most countries agreed that some contents of individualized care, empathy and responsibility should be taught in nursing education, but several core contents were mentioned by only one group of participants and in one country.

Conclusion

The lack of convergence on core content to be taught suggests that different views are still present. Merging these perspectives may stimulate a reciprocal understanding between professionals and patients, as well as across countries, and support the identification of commonalities and differences to further harmonize undergraduate education in the field.