Using gaming to help nursing students understand ethics

The authors developed an ethics game that uses specially designed ethical situations for students to consider. Two students argue a course of action based on the scenario and defend that action using content discussed in class. Substantive issues include decision-making models, values as they pertain to the situation, professional responsibilities, ethical principles, social expectations, and legal requirements. Points are awarded based on how compelling each argument is. All students have an opportunity to participate. The benefits of using the game are that students gain confidence in their ability to defend an ethical decision, are able to see ethical situations from more than one perspective, and have an opportunity to clarify values. In addition, ethical principles and decision-making models are brought to life in a fun way. Difficulties involved in using the game include class size and limited time between the students learning course content and using it in the game.