Ethics Education for Nurse Leaders

Overseen By Jill K Greenwood-Williamson, DNP, RN

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: OSF Healthcare System

Disqualifiers: Direct care nurses only

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if an educational program, specifically Ethics Education, can enhance the confidence and skills of nursing leaders in making ethical decisions in healthcare. It targets those working in both hospital and outpatient care settings. The trial consists of two parts: one for leaders in acute care (hospital settings) and another for leaders in post-acute care (outpatient settings). Nurses in leadership roles within non-profit healthcare settings are well-suited for this study. As an unphased trial, it offers nursing leaders a unique opportunity to improve their ethical decision-making skills and contribute to better healthcare practices.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this educational intervention is safe for nursing leaders?

Research has shown that teaching ethics to nurse leaders is safe and well-received. Although studies specifically on ethics education have not reported negative effects, related research highlights positive outcomes. For example, ethical leadership significantly enhances staff's sense of psychological safety and boosts their willingness to report problems.

Overall, ethics education aims to improve skills like decision-making, contributing to a safer and more effective workplace. No evidence suggests harm or risk from this type of educational program. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it aims to enhance ethical decision-making among nursing leaders through targeted ethics education. Unlike traditional training that might be more generalized, this education focuses specifically on the unique challenges faced by leaders in acute care (hospital settings) and post-acute care (ambulatory settings). By tailoring ethics education to these specific environments, the trial hopes to empower nursing leaders to navigate complex ethical dilemmas more effectively, ultimately improving patient outcomes and fostering a more ethically sound healthcare environment.

What evidence suggests that this ethics education is effective for increasing ethical competency and confidence in decision making for nursing leaders?

Research shows that teaching ethics can help nursing leaders enhance their leadership skills. In this trial, nursing leaders will engage in ethics education tailored to their specific settings. Studies have found that targeted educational programs effectively develop leadership in nurses, particularly in hospitals, aligning with the acute care arm of this trial. Evidence-based nursing leadership can improve personal outcomes like knowledge, motivation, and skills. In settings where patients are recovering, such as those in the post-acute care arm, leadership programs have improved healthcare results, including performance and efficiency. Integrity connects ethics with strong leadership in healthcare. Overall, ethics education is expected to increase nursing leaders' ethical skills and confidence in decision-making. ^{2 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jill K Greenwood-Williamson, DNP, RN

Principal Investigator

OSF HealthCare

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for nursing leaders employed in non-profit healthcare settings, including both acute-care units and post-acute care facilities. It aims to enhance their ethical decision-making skills.

Inclusion Criteria

I work as a nursing leader in a non-profit healthcare facility.

I am currently in a hospital or a post-hospital care facility.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Educational Intervention

Participants undergo an ethics education program over a 6-week period

6 weeks

1 pre-assessment, 2 post-assessments

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in ethical competence and confidence

3 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Ethics Education

Trial Overview The study tests an educational program designed to boost the ethical confidence and competence of nurse leaders. Participants will undergo a pre/post evaluation to measure the effectiveness of this training.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Post-Acute Care Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Nursing leaders will participate voluntarily and will report their leadership role as post-acute care (ambulatory settings)

Group II: Acute Care Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Nursing leaders will participate voluntarily and will report their leadership role as acute care (hospital settings).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

OSF Healthcare System

Lead Sponsor

Trials

31

Recruited

33,800+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A program aimed at educating registered nurses (RNs) about high reliability showed a positive impact on their willingness to report adverse events, which is crucial for improving patient safety.

Despite the findings not being statistically significant, they highlight the importance of fostering a culture of high reliability in healthcare to encourage more accurate reporting of adverse events.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of High-Reliability Education on Adverse Event Reporting by Registered Nurses. McFarland, DM., Doucette, JN.[2018]

A survey of 509 clinical research associates (CRAs) and research nurses (RNs) revealed significant variability in adverse event (AE) reporting practices, with only 51.2% using standardized methods, highlighting a need for improved training and consistency.

Respondents identified major challenges in AE reporting, such as differences in trial protocols and definitions, and expressed strong support for additional resources like online reporting modules and standardized tracking forms to enhance reporting accuracy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Challenges and Barriers to Adverse Event Reporting in Clinical Trials: A Children's Oncology Group Report. Miller, TP., Marx, MZ., Henchen, C., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-knowledge-attitudes-practice-5-2024-1400c

Ethics Education for Nurse Leaders · Info for Participants This trial is for nursing leaders employed in non-profit healthcare settings, including both acute-care units and post-acute care facilities. It aims to enhance ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9311216/

Nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting This study aims to identify the most effective interventions to facilitate nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting.

3. bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-024-02096-4

The impact of evidence-based nursing leadership in ... The authors concluded that it is possible to improve individual-level outcomes among leaders, such as knowledge, motivation, skills, and ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10265372/

Impact of Nurse Leaders Behaviors on Nursing Staff ... The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between nursing leadership and nurse performance by understanding the leadership behaviors and factors ...

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020748920303333

The essentials of nursing leadership: A systematic review ... The findings of this review make it clear that targeted educational interventions are an effective method of leadership development in nurses.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9634685/

Nurse leadership: Sustaining a culture of safety - PMC An analysis of the data within this research study revealed that nurse leaders must take specific actions to sustain a culture of safety, ...

7. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352013225001036

The role of ethical leadership in promoting nurse internal ... Ethical leadership had a significant effect on psychological safety (β = 0.38, P < 0.001), reporting attitudes (β = 0.44, P < 0.001), and ...

8. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jonm.13775

Medical–surgical nurse leaders' experiences with safety ... The aim of this study is to describe safety culture as experienced by medical–surgical nurse leaders.