Applicants' success in the ethics entrance exam: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Student selection is the first step in recruiting future social and healthcare professionals. Ethically competent professionals are needed in social and healthcare. It is important to select applicants who have the best possible abilities to develop their ethical competence in the future. Values-based recruitment has been used to inform the recruitment and selection of higher education applicants. However, objective and valid tests in student selection are needed. AIM: To assess social and healthcare applicants' success and related factors in the ethics section of the universities of applied sciences digital entrance examination (UAS Exam) to undergraduate degree programmes. RESEARCH DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: Social and healthcare applicants needed to identify ethical situations in the ethics section of a national digital entrance examination (UAS Exam) in autumn 2019 (between 29 October and 1 November) in 20 Finnish universities of applied sciences. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The process for the responsible conduct of research was followed in the study. Ethics committee approval was obtained from the Human Sciences Ethics Committee in the Satakunta region (27 September 2019). Approval to undertake the study was obtained from the participating universities of applied sciences. Participation to the study was voluntary and based on informed consent. RESULTS: The applicants' (n = 8971) mean scores were 7.1/20 (standard deviation 6.5), and 22.7% of the applicants failed the ethics section. Age, previous education, and place of birth (own/parent) explained the applicants' success in the ethics section (total score and failed exam results). CONCLUSION(S): Applicants' success in the ethics section varied indicating that future students may have a different basis to develop their ethical competence. This may impact on (new) students' learning, especially in practical studies.

Ethical competence - exploring situations in physiotherapy practice.

INTRODUCTION: Ethical competence is a key area of professional expertise in physiotherapy. It is needed for successful interaction and rehabilitation - most physiotherapists encounter ethical situations weekly, but the ability to recognize and meet these situations varies. OBJECTIVE: This study describes physiotherapists' ethical competence in situations in which they experience they have succeeded to act ethically competently. The study also seeks to verify an existing conceptual frame, developed through a concept analysis of ethical competence. METHOD: All together 164 physiotherapists responded to open-ended questions by writing short narratives of an ethically challenging situation. The narratives which were analyzed using deductive-inductive content analysis to discover meaningful underlying categories under the existing analysis frame's themes. RESULTS: Responses were related to advocating and supporting patients, identifying barriers in own knowledge and implementing physiotherapy according to the patient's needs, even if the treatment wasn't in line with the actual goals or organization's guidelines. Ethical awareness as an attribute of ethical competence was emphasized in physiotherapists' responses. CONCLUSION: This study provided new knowledge about ethically challenging situations that physiotherapists encounter and their abilities to work within these. As all the attributes of ethical competence were present in the situations described, it can be stated that the analysis frame at this point is adequate. Further testing of the frame should be done to gain data-driven trustworthiness and credibility.

Physiotherapists' ethical behavior in professional practice: a qualitative study.

Background: In health professions, ethics is considered a fundamental competence. The increase in clinical autonomy in the field of physiotherapy is associated with an increase in ethical situations in their clinical practice. Objective: To explore the ethics of the clinical relationship between physiotherapists and patients, the ethics training received by physiotherapists, and if in the clinical context, physiotherapists identify the necessary attitudes and apply the ethical recommendations of the profession for the ethical situations they experience. Methods: A qualitative exploratory and descriptive study was performed with physiotherapists. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis, as proposed by Krippendorf. The study protocol was approved by the University of Valencia Ethics Committee of Human Research. Results: This study included 15 physiotherapists (66.66% women, average age = 42.2 years), which was sufficient to reach data saturation. We identified four categories: (i) Ethics of the clinical relationship (ethical values, principles, and norms; type of clinical relationship), (ii) Ethics training received (during the physiotherapy studies; current training of students; low importance of ethics in the curriculum), (iii) Necessary attitudes for professional ethical practice (main attitudes were identified: personal attitudes and professional attitudes); (iv) Experiences from professional practice (general; public sector vs. private sector). Conclusion: The ethics of the clinical relationship between physiotherapists and patients is determined by the attitudes of the practitioner, which are the result of his or her values and previous experiences; and are very centered on ethics of indication (founded mainly on the principles of Beneficence and Non-Maleficence). It is necessary to improve the ethical training received by physiotherapists, which is poorly focused on professional attitudes.

Safe patient handling education: analysis from European higher education institutions.

OBJECTIVES: According to current research, patient handling is not universally taught in academic nursing programs in Europe. Miscellaneous patient handling education may expose students and novice health care workers to occupational hazards, especially if the evidence-based contents of safe patient handling are not recognized. Health care workers deal with high physical workloads daily, which points out the importance of evidence-based curricula contents from the early phases of education. The aim of this study was to describe the patient handling education and to analyse the differences in curricula among higher education institutions (HEIs) in Europe. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional design and was conducted in HEIs educating health care professionals in Europe. The data was collected through a Webropol questionnaire consisting of structured and open-ended questions. RESULTS: Only 68.4% of the respondents stated that they have a framework that guides the patient handling education. Additionally, some answers referred to guidelines that are not adequate to be referred to as evidence-based guidelines on patient handling. There is variation in emphasizing workplace safety and risk assessment issues in the curricula, and variation in teaching of assistive aids. CONCLUSIONS: Currently the patient handling education in the studied HEIs does not meet the requirements of evidence-based practice. The establishment of a European-wide framework, including both theoretical and practical training for safe patient handling is needed. The inclusion of risk assessment and workplace safety issues is essential to improve the risk management knowledge and skills and further avoid work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(5):615-23.