Teaching ethics: effect on moral development

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Ethics
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Moral judgment development is crucial for healthcare professionals.
• Nursing curricula vary in their integration of ethical content.
• Understanding the impact of ethics education on moral reasoning is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess moral judgment development in baccalaureate nursing students.
• To compare moral judgment across different nursing programs with varying ethics content.
• To identify the influence of ethics instruction on moral reasoning.

Main Methods:

• A developmental cross-sectional study was conducted with 180 first-year and senior nursing students.
• Students were enrolled in three programs with distinct ethical content integration: dedicated ethics course (A), integrated ethics (B), and no ethics content (C).
• Moral judgment was measured using Rest's Defining Issues Test (DIT).

Main Results:

• Senior nursing students in program A, which included a dedicated ethics course, scored significantly higher on the DIT compared to other senior groups.
• Program A's curriculum, featuring group participation and decision-making, demonstrated a positive impact on moral judgment development.
• Differences in moral judgment were observed between programs with varying levels of ethics instruction.

Conclusions:

• A structured ethics course, particularly one with participatory and decision-making components, significantly enhances moral judgment development in nursing students.
• The integration and depth of ethical content in nursing education directly influence students' moral reasoning abilities.
• Findings suggest that specific pedagogical approaches in ethics education are more effective in fostering moral development.