Using Anonymized Reflection To Teach Ethics: a Pilot Study

Abstract

Anonymized reflection was employed as an innovative way of teaching ethics in order to enhance students' ability in ethical decision making during a Care of the Dying Patient and Family' module. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the first two student cohorts who experienced anonymized reflection ( n = 24). The themes identified were the richness and relevance of scenarios, small-group work and a team approach to teaching. Students indicated that they preferred this style of teaching. This finding was verified by a postal questionnaire conducted four months later. The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that using anonymized reflection is an effective method for teaching ethics to nurses and indicates that learning about ethical issues in this way reduces uncertainties.

Effectiveness of ethics education as perceived by nursing students

“…3,8,15,18,19,27 In contrast to our study, other studies found that group discussion is seen as an effective method for teaching ethics. 8,18,19 This difference can possibly be explained in that group discussions at the two participating university colleges took place in large groups, thereby making the learning effect small. Group discussion is a teaching method that requires small groups to maximise learning, as students feel less inhibited to express their opinions in small groups.…”

“…Group discussion is a teaching method that requires small groups to maximise learning, as students feel less inhibited to express their opinions in small groups. 8,10,19 Another explanation might be that students received these teaching methods less frequently than others, and therefore perceived these methods as less effective than the ones they had more frequently received. Unfortunately, we do not have an idea of the amount of contact hours the students had with the various teaching methods used during the courses.…”

Relationship of Ethical Knowledge to Action in Senior Baccalaureate Nursing Students

“…Nursing curriculums vary in how the ethical reasoning ability of students is developed and the literature supports the inconsistency of how knowledge of ethics and ethical reasoning is taught throughout the various programs in the country (Comrie;Krawczyk, 1997;Nolan & Markert, 2002). Debate continues regarding what is the best method of instruction of ethics in nursing students (Allmark, 1995;Dinç & Gӧrgülü, 2002;Kyle, 2008;Woods, 2005). Since nursing ethics is taught in many ways, from specialized classes to integration into the curriculum, it is difficult to know to what degree nursing students can reason ethically.…”

“…Kyle (2008) Through the design of this project, the authors piloted a different methodology for instruction of ethics to nursing students. They wanted to provide meaning to the ethicallegal content by putting it into context and relating it to practice.…”

Evaluation of the use of team teaching for delivering sensitive content – a pilot study

“…Ethics and ethical decision making is a key content component of this course, and had previously been taught using a more didactic theory-based approach. A decision was taken by the module team to change the delivery of the ethics component, using anonymised reflection (Kyle 2008) within a team teaching approach. Briefly, anonymised reflection is a small-group approach to teaching ethics; students each bring their own critical incident/ethical dilemma to the session (written anonymously), and, working in groups, discuss these using various ethical decision-making models provided by the teachers.…”