Enhancing nurses' ethical practice: development of a clinical ethics program

Nurs Clin North Am. 1998 Jun;33(2):299-311.

Abstract

There is increasing attention paid to ethics under managed care; however, few clinical-based ethics programs are reported. This paper reports the assessment and outcomes of one such program. A quasi-experimental research design with t-tests is used to assess the outcome differences between participants and control groups. There are twenty nurses in each; they are assessed for comparability. Differences are predicted on two outcomes using reliable and valid measures: nurses' time with their patients in ethics discussions, and nurses' opinions regarding their clinical ethics environments. Results reveal a statistically significant difference (p <.05) between the two groups, with modest positive change in the participants. Additional exploratory analyses are reported on variables influential in health care services.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Clinical Competence*
  • Education, Nursing, Continuing*
  • Ethics, Nursing / education*
  • Female
  • Health Care Reform
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / education
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / standards*
  • United States