Interprofessional Understanding of Ethical Dilemmas

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based upon material published in the Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics and is available online using the weblink provided. Abstract: This study examines the opportunities brought by simulation learning in acquiring interprofessional skills and developing ethical thinking. A large-scale simulation refers to a simulation utilizing drama carried out with the help of actors and professionals from various industries. The simulation was constructed around an emergency situation related to sudden infant death syndrome. The scenario involved a paramedic unit, police officers, and an on-duty social worker. The study explored the ethical dilemmas emerging during the simulation training and a related simulation debriefing and the opportunities simulation pedagogy provides for dealing with and learning about ethical conflicts. The research data included a video-recorded simulation scenario and learning diaries by students based on a large-scale simulation, which were analyzed using narrative methods. The analysis was used as the basis for forming two main narratives representing key dilemmas. These included a person-oriented vs. action-oriented approach, and a personal sense of justice vs. correctness. The shared ethical reflection resulted in the students understanding the moral justifications of professionals, such as police officers, physicians, and paramedics, despite initially perceiving their activities critically. A key learning outcome was the broadening of the participant's attitudes towards other professionals. They also raised their awareness of the significance of interprofessional collaboration and joint reflection in developing their own ethical thinking. This course on the interprofessional understanding of ethical dilemmas is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge of ethics. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing education courses in ethics for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Monkkonen, Silen-Lipponen, Kekoni, and Saaranen Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the interprofessional understanding of ethical dilemmas. Specifically, a professional will: Describe how simulation learning can aid in the development of interprofessional skills and ethical thinking Identify outcomes of using a shared ethical reflection technique. Recognize the difference between a person-oriented vs. an action-oriented approach to ethical dilemmas. Citation: Monkkonen, K. Silen-Lipponen, M., Kekoni, T. and Saaranen, T. (2021). Interprofessional understanding of ethical dilemmas: Learning experience of simulation learning in social welfare and health care education. The Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 18, (2).