For a very long time I've wanted to learn how to set up my own website. Students in my critical care class have 7 weeks to complete content with little time spent on ethical issues in today's busy healthcare setting. They often shy away and voice they feel "unprepared" to deal with such dilemmas. As senior nursing students, they will be graduating in a short time following my class and face these issues in professional clinical practice. I decided to develop a website as a companion to critical care to allow students to learn about ethical issues commonly faced in critical care nursing as well as identifying personal feelings they may have about them. I choose to develop a website on Weebly.com. Many services offered on this site (including development of a personalized website) are free. There are hundreds of templates. It is extremely easy to set up hyperlinks to any learning activities developed. I created a WebQuest on the QuestGardens website and linked it to my site on Weebly. As mentioned in my previous post, students participating in the Webquest activity will be guided to find information on terminal weaning from mechanical ventilation. I created a scenario case study that students will use. They will analyze the case study (ethical issue) according to an assigned "side of the argument." Half the class will be assigned to support terminal weaning in the case study scenario and the other half will be assigned to stand against it. After thorough research students will participate in a class blogging activity discussing feelings and perceptions related to terminal weaning and these feelings or perceptions may differ from their assigned roles for the debate. As a final activity students will debate the issue in an open forum discussion. The intent it to present two different views of one complex ethical issue, using various ethical theories and principles learned in prior courses.
I feel activities such as this are very important to those entering the nursing profession. It is not a nurse's job to force an opinion on a patient or patient's family. It is important to acknowledge personal views on complex issues and set them aside. Nurses are supposed to support patients through tough decisions such as the case scenario developed. Sometimes "right" and "wrong" are very gray areas that need to be carefully considered. I've noticed that some nurses do not recognize the rights and feelings of those they are caring for and this is not acceptable. We must always respect the person. Sometimes we may not agree with a decision a patient makes but it is our position to support them. I feel very strongly about this. Once I cared for a patient who due to a religious belief was refusing a certain treatment. The physician and family literally bullied this patient to undergo the treatment. Reluctantly she agreed to take the treatment. Six months after beginning therapy she died a very sad and unhappy woman. Nurses must never judge patients nor give them personal opinions about "what should be done." It is our place to present the options truthfully and allow the patient and family to come to their own decisions - whatever they may be. I am excited to try my activity with the new class coming in the Fall. I feel it will help them to look beyond themselves and recognize beliefs and feelings that may not be their own.
Ethical dilemmas are tough for not only nursing students, but teaching students and all the other disciplines as well. The reality of what is actually done out in the work place conflicts with the ideals of best practices taught in the classroom. Some students almost get paralyzed from the dichotomy (not sure that's the right word, but hope you know what I mean). Others just blow it off and try not to think about it...just go out and do the best they can do. There are no easy answers...but it certainly needs talked about and taught about.
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