Exploring Ethical Decision Making in a Global, Interprofessional Environment

In The Moral Self, Dewey (1932/2009) stated: “Selfhood or character is not a mere means, an external instrument, of attaining certain ends. . . . It is an agency of accomplishing consequences. . . . The self reveals its nature in what it chooses” (p. 342). If, as Dewey postulates, ethics is part of a person’s character and therefore a part of one self, perhaps one can draw upon these inherent factors in an attempt to practice ethically and authentically. This practice is evident through the actions they choose when confronted with an ethical situation or dilemma. If students are able to act according to their feelings and convictions, being true to their core beliefs and emotions, then authenticity can be achieved (Guignon, 2008). Authenticity here refers to how decisions, which are truly one’s own, are achieved while incorporating the complexity of one’s own personal values (Gadow, 1990). Therefore, authenticity can be seen as a reflection upon one’s selfhood.

Moreover, these choices mold and form them as professionals. Choices that are not ethical—such as acting unethically by disseminating details about the care of a patient and protected information—are just that: choices. Health Care Professionals have the ethical choice of whether or not to act in a certain way—a way in accordance with ethics.

These teachings by Dewey are applicable to nursing students and other health profession students as well. If a student can combine action with reflection, then good conduct is possible. An important way for students in a healthcare profession to achieve authenticity in global ethical decision-making is to collaborate with each other in a simulated, interprofessional environment.

The need for nurses to be collaborative and practice-ready upon entering the profession has never been more important than it is today. The Institute of Medicine (Finkelman and Kenner, 2012) has identified that teamwork and collaboration should be essential parts of the nursing curriculum to prepare nurses to be ready to manage patient care with a team-based approach. The literature supports the idea that by learning out of silos and bringing students together from all different pre-professional programs, the professional working environment can be mirrored and the processes of collaboration and communication within teams can start. Exploring how teams manage ethical dilemmas in healthcare may unveil how ethical dilemmas are managed on a global scale.

This presentation combines the research efforts of two studies – one delineating the phenomenological perspective of nurses transitioning into practice after having IPE opportunities, and the other phenomenological study looking at the utilization of ethics in nursing practice. The authors want to explore the combination of teaching ethics using the (Insert author’s last name) Model of Ethics with the use of interprofessional education as a way to develop authentic, health care practitioners who engage in ethical decision-making on a global level. The model is a culmination of the five themes (advocacy, dignity, humanity, integrity, and leadership), in addition to the central framework of authenticity. This model will be used in concert with unfolding case studies in order to open discussion concerning ethical dilemmas in a global context.