Developing nursing ethical competences online versus in the traditional classroom

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Ethics
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Societal and medical advancements present new ethical challenges in healthcare.
• Nursing higher education must adapt to prepare students for autonomous decision-making in complex situations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of active learning methods in nursing education.
• To compare online versus traditional classroom settings for developing ethical competences.
• To assess nursing students' readiness and responsiveness to contemporary healthcare challenges.

Main Methods:

• A pedagogical experiment comparing online active learning (experimental) with traditional classroom learning (control).
• A multiple-case study to analyze student attitudes towards active learning methods.
• Inclusion of 211 first-year nursing students from Slovenian universities.

Main Results:

• Both online and traditional active learning methods positively impacted learning and ethical competence development.
• No significant difference was found between the online and traditional learning settings.
• Active engagement through methods like group work and role-play enhanced ethical competence, communication skills, and critical thinking.

Conclusions:

• Active learning methods, irrespective of online or traditional settings, are crucial for developing ethical competence in nursing students.
• These methods foster critical thinking and reflective responses vital for healthcare professionals.
• Developing ethical competence is essential for autonomous decision-making and effective communication in healthcare.