Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
8-3-2026
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Veronica Arredondo
Abstract
Nursing faculty often report limited confidence in teaching ethical principles, despite the essential role ethics plays in preparing students for complex clinical decision-making. This quantitative, quasi-experimental pre/post quality improvement project evaluated whether a structured ethics education module incorporating simulation could impact faculty confidence in teaching ethical principles. Guided by Lewin’s Change Theory and the Jeffries Simulation Framework, the project examined how organizational readiness for change and structured simulation design influence faculty development outcomes. Nursing faculty in a baccalaureate program participated in a single simulation-enhanced ethics session. Data were collected through anonymous pre/post Qualtrics surveys, and faculty confidence was measured using the adapted C-Scale. Eleven faculty members attended the intervention, and six completed matched pre- and post-surveys. The module included a lecture, ethical case scenario, and guided debriefing. Confidence scores increased from pre-intervention (M= 19.67, SD = 5.35) to post-intervention (M= 22.00, SD = 2.45), though the paired samples t- test was not statistically significant, t (5) = - 1.40, p = .220. The medium effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.57) and reduced score variability suggest a practically meaningful impact on faculty confidence. These findings support the use of simulation as a feasible and effective strategy for strengthening ethical teaching competence and improving consistency in ethics instruction. The project demonstrates that structured, experiential ethics education can enhance faculty preparedness and contribute to improved ethical learning environments for nursing students.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Brown, Shannon, "Quality Improvement Project Simulating Ethics: Improving Ethical Decision-Making in Nursing Undergraduates Through Simulation and Faculty Training" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 367.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/367
