The relationship of ethics education to moral sensitivity and moral reasoning skills of nursing students.
This study described the relationships between academic class and student moral sensitivity and reasoning and between curriculum design components for ethics education and student moral sensitivity and reasoning. The data were collected from freshman (n = 506) and senior students (n = 440) in eight baccalaureate nursing programs in South Korea by survey; the survey consisted of the Korean Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire and the Korean Defining Issues Test. The results showed that moral sensitivity scores in patient-oriented care and conflict were higher in senior students than in freshman students. Furthermore, more hours of ethics content were associated with higher principled thinking scores of senior students. Nursing education in South Korea may have an impact on developing student moral sensitivity. Planned ethics content in nursing curricula is necessary to improve moral sensitivity and moral reasoning of students.
Research Institute for Hospice/Palliative Care, College of Nursing, Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Seoch-gu, Seoul 137-701, Korea. marivincent@gmail.com
Mihyun
M
Park
Diane
D
Kjervik
Jamie
J
Crandell
Marilyn H
MH
Oermann
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004993:Ethics, Nursing / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035863:Moral Development; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D013850:Thinking / Q000941:ethics*; D055815:Young Adult