Does ethics education prepare students for early clinical practice? Interpreting the findings of a qualitative study
Simon Walker1, University Of Otago 1University Of Otago
Abstract
In a recent qualitative study 13 first- and second-year doctors were asked in a set of interviews to describe their experiences of ethical challenges in end-of-life care, and what helped or hindered them in negotiating these challenges. During these interviews, participants were asked to comment on how well their undergraduate ethics teaching prepared them for these challenges. While the participants described their undergraduate ethics teaching in broadly positive terms, several commented on the inherent differences between a classroom discussion of ethical issues and the reality of the situations discussed. What emerged from the findings as key factors affecting the participants’ ability to negotiate the challenges was the involvement (or otherwise) of senior clinicians, and whether there was opportunity to constructively reflect on the events after they happened. In this presentation I will explain these findings and discuss what they mean for the design and delivery of undergraduate ethics teaching.
Biography
Simon Walker is a senior lecturer at the University of Otago’s Bioethics Centre. He convenes the ethics teaching for several of the University’s healthcare professional programs and the Otago Medical School’s Professional Practice Domain Sub-Committee.