Exploring student nurses' reflections on moral responsibility in practice

Abstract

Inga-BrittLindh inga-britt.lindh@hkr.se Student nurses are faced with a demand for moral responsibility during their clinical education. In order to gain an understanding of how they reflect on the phenomenon of moral responsibility in nursing practice, repeated focus group interviews were conducted. Fourteen student nurses in their final year of the three year baccalaureate programme in nursing were interviewed during their final placement. The interpretive content analysis disclosed the manifestations of moral responsibility as being available for the patient, shielding the patient and being confronted with the voice of conscience. The findings highlighted the importance of space given to ethical reflection on a regular basis as a joint activity. This included by both student nurses and professionals.

Evaluation of the Manchester clinical supervision scale: Norwegian and Swedish versions

“…The restorative factor also included colleague/social support, thus the possibility to identify with experienced nurses who served as role models. This is in line with Lindh et al. (2008), who stated that student nurses’ need for support from their supervisor was related to issues such as moral sensitivity and responsibility, both connected to the outcomes of quality of care.…”

“…The benefits of group supervision are described as the possibility to share professional practice and the experiences of others as well as the promotion of efficient management of ethical dilemmas (Berggren & Severinsson 2006 and moral stress (Severinsson & Kamaker 1999). The context of the problems addressed in supervision is of importance when reflecting on critical situations in clinical practice, as the clinical challenges differ (Lindh et al 2008(Lindh et al , 2009). However, it has been reported that CS participation varies considerably in psychiatric care and a large number of staff may not participate at all (Gonge & Buus 2010).…”

Evaluation of process‐oriented supervision of student nurses: A Swedish case study

“…An interesting point was that POS is the only forum in nursing education where the students are given space to talk about their thoughts and feelings in relation to the development of their professional identity, which suggests that this program should be mandatory in nursing education. This finding echoes the literature that is related to the quality of supervisors' skills and the importance of their ethical decision‐making style (Saarikoski & Leino‐Kilpi, 2002; Berggren & Severinsson, 2006) and highlights the fact that student nurses need to reflect on moral responsibility in practice (Lindh et al ., 2008), as well as on the development of moral strength (Lindh et al ., 2009).…”

“…The value of supervision has been investigated by several researchers in different clinical contexts and has been found to have an impact on professional competence by enhancing the quality of care that is given (Magnusson et al ., 2002; Veeramah, 2002; Edwards et al ., 2005; Nordentoft, 2008; Pettifer & Clouder, 2008). The ethical dimension of supervision promotes the supervisee's moral responsibility, which becomes visible in the care of individual patients and their relatives, as well as in the co‐operation with colleagues and other healthcare practitioners (Lindh et al ., 2007; 2008; 2009; 2010). A previous study that applied a student nurse perspective found that the students increased their patient attentiveness, empathic ability, and personal growth by using their communication ability and insight (Holm et al ., 1998).…”

Effects of process-oriented group supervision - a comparison of three groups of student nurses

“…Sensitivity and awareness in the communication between supervisor and student nurses have been explored in relation to the latter's reflection on moral responsibility (Lindh et al . ). Moral responsibility was interpreted as a relational way of being, which involved guidance by one's inner compass comprising ideals, values and knowledge that translate into striving to do good (Lindh et al .…”