Nursing students’ experience of learning ethical competence and person-centred care through simulation

Abstract

Background: Ethics is a difficult subject for nursing students to grasp and learn but, like person-centredness, it has an important role in the relationship between nurses and patients. Simulation has been found to be a suitable method for learning nursing procedures and actions, and the researchers wanted to explore whether it could be a suitable learning strategy for acquiring ethical skills, which are a prerequisite for delivering person-centred care. Aim: In response to the research question How can nursing students develop ethical competence through simulation? the study sought to consider how students could learn ethical reflection and decision making through simulated ethical dilemmas, and whether this could enhance their ability to deliver person-centred care. Design: The study was qualitative and exploratory, and based on students acting in scenarios representing general ethical dilemmas in nursing. There were four focus group interviews with nine nursing students in their second year, during their clinical practice. Students were recruited by self-selection. Data were transcribed and analysed using Graneheim and Lundman’s content analysis. Findings: The students gained experience through participation and acting in simulation exercises. The shared experience was a good starting point for guided reflection on ethical and tacit knowledge, and the acquired experience led to knowledge that is transferable to similar situations in clinical practice. Conclusion: This study shows that simulation is a valuable method for learning ethical reflection in nursing education. It found simulation to be suitable for developing ethical awareness that helps prepare nursing students to deliver person-centred practice. It has become a permanent learning strategy within nursing training at Nord University. Implications for practice: • Nursing students benefit from learning to practise critical ethical thinking as early as possible in order to become ethically aware and reflective during their training and later as nurses • Simulation is a valuable way to practise personal relationships with patients and colleagues • Simulated clinical scenarios improve competence in critical thinking and ethical conduct, and help prepare nurses to deliver person-centred practice. They can be used in all healthcare settings.

Lebanese nursing students' perceptions of barriers to the implementation of person‐centered care in clinical settings: A qualitative study

“…Nevertheless, contrary to focusing on nurses in hospitals, numerous research have instead concentrated on the nursing staff in elderly care facilities. Previous research on nursing students examined how well they understood the idea of person‐centered care (Ghane & Esmaeili, 2020), their encounters with providing person‐centered care to Alzheimer's patients (Skaalvik et al., 2010), and how they felt they learned about it in a single semester of study (van Leeuwen & Jukema, 2018) or through a simulation (Oddvang et al., 2021). Additionally, past research has mostly concentrated on the variables influencing nursing students' skills in providing person‐centered care.…”

Nursing students' experiences and perceptions of barriers to the implementation of person‐centred care in clinical settings: A qualitative study

“…However, many studies in Korea have focused on nursing staff in long‐term care settings rather than nurses in clinical settings (Kong et al, 2021; Sagong & Lee, 2016). Previous studies on nursing students have explored students' understanding of the concept of person‐centred care (Ghane & Esmaeili, 2020), their experiences of person‐centred care for Alzheimer's patients (Skaalvik et al, 2010) and their perceived experience of learning person‐centred care during a one‐semester course (van Leeuwen & Jukema, 2018) or simulation (Oddvang et al, 2021). In addition, previous studies in Korea have mainly focused on factors affecting person‐centred care competency in nursing students (Ahn & Kim, 2021; Kim, 2020; Lim, 2020; Park & Choi, 2020).…”