Developing a moral compass: Themes from the Clinical Ethics Residency for Nurses' final essays

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Ethics
• Professional Development

Background:

• A Clinical Ethics Residency for Nurses was implemented at two academic medical centers.
• The program aimed to enhance nurses' confidence in ethical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the ethics residency program.
• To determine if participants' goals for attending the program were met.

Main Methods:

• Modified directed content analysis of 65 end-of-course essays from three nurse cohorts.
• Faculty used guided readings based on six key questions posed to graduates.

Main Results:

• Participants developed ethical knowledge and skills, serving as a 'moral compass' for practice.
• Key themes included improved patient advocacy, enhanced support for colleagues and patients, personal/professional transformation, and valuing the multimodal approach.
• Participants acknowledged ethical development as an ongoing process.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal ethics education, including mentored practice and role-play, can enhance nurse confidence and mitigate moral distress.
• The program was perceived as personally and professionally transformative by most participants.
• Continued ethics discussions and supportive environments are crucial for ongoing ethical agency development.