Nurturing nurses with good ethics for a healthier future: A scoping review of public health ethics education

Abstract

Aims

The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of public health ethics education programs designed for nursing students to inform the development of curricula that produce nurses with a strong ethical compass.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for public health ethics education in nursing. While the importance of balancing individual rights and the health of the community is well-recognized, there is a dearth of effective educational programs and materials to equip nursing students with the necessary skills to navigate these complex ethical issues.

Design

This study is a scoping review of the literature

Data sources:

The PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science databases were searched to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria.

Methods

A total of 16 studies were obtained within a search period of 2012–2023.

Results

Our analysis showed that some of the studies included other faculty members and practitioners. Effective teaching methods included narrative media and gaming methods, while Internet technology posed teaching challenges. Evaluation methods ranged from analyzing student discussions and reports to using specific measurement scales.

Conclusions

These findings suggest the need to develop a broader range of evaluation methods and collaborative efforts among educators to ensure the sharing of educational resources.