Teaching ethics using games: Impact on Iranian nursing students' moral sensitivity

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Ethics
• Game-Based Learning

Background:

• Traditional ethics education methods may not fully engage nursing students.
• Developing moral sensitivity is crucial for effective nursing practice and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of game-based learning in enhancing ethical sensitivity among undergraduate nursing students.
• To assess student satisfaction with different game formats used in ethics education.

Main Methods:

• A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed with 30 undergraduate nursing students.
• A 17-week professional ethics education program incorporated game-based learning sessions.
• The Lutzen ethical sensitivity questionnaire and satisfaction checklists were used for data collection.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in overall moral sensitivity scores were observed post-intervention (p = 0.02).
• Subdomain scores related to patient relationships and ethical decision-making application showed significant improvement.
• Card sorting and art production games received the highest satisfaction ratings from students.

Conclusions:

• Game-based learning is an effective strategy for improving moral sensitivity in nursing students.
• Integrating games into ethics curricula can enhance students' readiness to address professional ethical challenges.
• Student engagement and satisfaction are key factors in the success of game-based ethics education.