Professional Ethics Research Articles

Experiences of maternal healthcare delivery in South Africa: Perinatal women's viewpoints.

Becoming a mother should be an exciting experience in woman's life. No mother should have to endure adverse encounters. while seeking healthcare in any maternal services facility. this is a phenomenon occurring globally. Delivery of these maternal healthcare services has a bearing on the obstetrical outcomes of mothers from preconception until six weeks after delivery. The study aims to understand the experiences of perinatal women regarding maternal healthcare services in the public hospitals of Gauteng province in South Africa. This study followed an exploratory and descriptive qualitative approach using a purposive sampling method. The study was conducted in three selected public hospitals representing different levels of care namely, district, tertiary provincial, and academic in the Gauteng province. A total of forty-six perinatal women were selected to take part in six focus groups. Data were thematically analysed following the six steps given by Braun and Clarke (2013). Three themes emerged as follows: 1) individual 2) interpersonal reasons and 3) impact of poor complaints procedure on maternal healthcare. The study showed that maternity services rendered to perinatal women in the three selected public hospitals are affected by several factors, such as midwives' attitudes, knowledge and skills, professional ethics, communication, and delayed maternal healthcare. These findings demonstrate an urgent need for practice and policy interventions that go beyond just a routine service but quality and organised maternal healthcare services provided in public hospitals, for improved healthcare outcomes at the point of service.

Professional ethics and ethical challenges related to nurses and patients: A narrative review

This study was conducted to evaluate professional ethics and ethical challenges related to nurses and patients. The study establishes a strong link between nursing, spirituality, and ethical performance, with nurses' religious beliefs significantly influencing their approach to patient care. Ethical decision-making is vital in nursing, with patients' rights and information disclosure being top priorities. The shortage of nursing staff and its impact on ethical practices are acknowledged. Rewarding ethical conduct and providing ethical education are recommended to promote ethical behavior among nurses. Ethical distress arises when organizational factors hinder ethical actions, affecting nurses' job satisfaction and patient care quality. Younger and married nurses may experience higher ethical distress, while experience may mitigate it. Overall, nurturing ethical behavior is crucial for better patient outcomes. Nurses often face ethical issues in their clinical practice. Ethical decision-making is now integral to professional nursing, requiring nurses to recognize ethical dilemmas and demonstrate ethical sensitivity in all patient interactions and during interventions, ensuring high-quality patient care and upholding the nursing profession's integrity.

Exploration and Practice of Integrating Ideological and Political Education into the “Comprehensive Practical Training in Prefabricated Building Construction” Course

This paper focuses on the ideological and political construction of the course “Comprehensive Practical Training of Prefabricated Building Construction” and deeply discusses its exploration and practice process. By building an ideological and political teaching system in line with the characteristics of “Comprehensive Training of Prefabricated Building Construction,” ideological and political elements such as industry spirit, professional ethics, and social responsibility are organically integrated into all links of practical training and teaching. In terms of teaching methods, various innovative means such as case analysis, role-playing, and group discussion are adopted, and modern information technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality are used to improve the teaching effect. At the same time, a diversified teaching evaluation system is formulated to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of ideological and political education. This study not only enriches the theoretical research of ideological and political courses but also provides a practical reference for the ideological and political construction of similar courses, which is of great significance for promoting the overall improvement of the quality of talent training in higher education.

Professional moral courage: A necessary trait that needs attention in modern nursing

Presently, nurses employed in healthcare environments encounter intricate moral and spiritual dilemmas as a result of their professional responsibilities. These challenges encompass issues such as aggressive interventions for terminally ill patients, superfluous medical examinations, and instances of deceit. The findings of the study highlighted deficiencies in the quality of care provided, inequitable power dynamics within the workforce, and a deficiency in organizational backing [1-3]. Conversely, given the numerous ethical dimensions within nursing practice such as upholding human dignity, respecting rights, and adhering to ethical standards, it is evident that ethics plays a crucial role in the framework of nursing [4]. One of the important and influential aspects in the discussion of professional ethics is the courage of professional ethics [5]. Moral courage is defined as standing up for what is right and involves a steadfast commitment to moral principles despite potential risks [6]. Moral courage is a virtue that creates the ability to perform moral behavior in a person and makes him perform morally despite obstacles. Courage is one of the most valuable human personality traits and has a central role in moral life. Moral courage is one of the basic values of the nursing profession. This value was introduced with two other values, love, and respect, by the International Honorary Society of Nurses in 1922 [2].

Synergistic Advancement of Teachers Professional Ethics and Students Mental Health in Private Colleges and Universities

This paper explores the correlation between teachers professional ethics and students mental health in private colleges and universities, along with their significance for students holistic development. The paper initially analyzes the challenges encountered by teachers in private colleges and universities regarding professional ethics, as well as the specific manifestations of students mental health issues in private colleges and universities. Subsequently, it investigates the interaction between teachers professional ethics and students mental health. Finally, a set of strategies are put forward, encompassing strengthening professional ethics training, establishing a harmonious campus ambiance, enriching communication channels between teachers and students, and constructing a platform for home-school collaboration, to facilitate the synergistic advancement of teachers professional ethics and students mental health.

The Spirit of Craftsman is Integrated into the Teaching and Research of Art College Students in the New Era

With the advent of the new era, the social demand for art talents is increasingly diversified and high-end, and the craftsman spirit, as a symbol of the ultimate pursuit of skills and adherence to quality, is particularly important for the cultivation of art college students. This paper aims to discuss how to integrate the craftsman spirit into the teaching and research of art college students in the new era, so as to improve their professional quality, innovation ability and professional ethics, and cultivate more excellent artistic talents with the craftsman spirit for the society.

Finance Course Ideological and Political Implementation Path Guidance

The reform of ideological and political teaching in the course of finance should be guided by Marxism, attach importance to ideological and political teaching in the course, and implement the fundamental task of moral education. Ideological and political education should be conducted for students in the financial class, with the education goal of cultivating students professional ethics, patriotism and other qualities, innovating teaching methods, integrating financial knowledge with ideological and political knowledge, carrying out curriculum ideological and political education, improving students learning interest, strengthening the educational function of professional courses, and cultivating high-quality talents.

Efisiensi Kurikulum Perguruan Tinggi Islam di Indonesia: Tinjauan Literatur tentang Peningkatan Kompetensi Intelektual dan Kesiapan Kerja Melalui Pendidikan Agama Islam

This study aims to analyze the efficiency of the curriculum of Islamic universities in Indonesia in ensuring the readiness of students to enter the workforce, by reviewing the role of Islamic religious education in improving intellectual competence. Through a literature study approach, this study identifies the challenges and opportunities faced by Islamic universities in integrating religious values ​​with the intellectual and professional needs of students. The main focus of this study is the effectiveness of the curriculum in balancing theoretical aspects of religion and practical skills needed in the workplace. This study found that the curriculum of Islamic universities in Indonesia has attempted to adopt an integrative approach that combines religious education with the development of soft skills and hard skills that are relevant to professional careers. However, there are still some weaknesses in the implementation, such as the lack of curriculum adjustment to the dynamics of the labor market, as well as the imbalance between religious education and practical skills. The results of this study indicate that Islamic religious education has an important role in shaping the character and professional ethics of students, which are the main capital in entering the workforce. Therefore, increasing the efficiency of the curriculum through collaboration between academics, industry practitioners, and policy makers is needed to ensure that students' intellectuality is in accordance with the demands of the workplace. This study contributes to the academic discussion on the reform of Islamic higher education curriculum and emphasizes the importance of Islamic religious education in producing graduates who are not only intellectually competent, but also have strong ethical values ​​to face professional challenges. The implication of this study is the need for a more flexible and adaptive curriculum strategy to improve the competitiveness of Islamic higher education graduates in the global job market.

Investigating the Relationship between Moral Intelligence and Attitude towards Patient Safety in Nurses Working at Shahid Sadoughi Teaching Hospital in Yazd in 2023

Background: Moral intelligence in nurses is of particular importance due to the human and moral nature of their job and profession. Moral intelligence can provide a rule for the correct functioning of humans and is considered a predictive factor of behavior. The moral intelligence of nurses refers to their ability to distinguish right from wrong and adhere to ethical principles. Nurses with higher moral intelligence show more commitment to patient safety and adherence to professional protocols and have a more positive attitude toward patient safety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between moral intelligence and attitude towards patient safety in nurses working at Shahid Sadoughi Teaching Hospital in Yazd in 2023. Methods: The present study was a descriptive-analytical one conducted cross-sectionally in 2023. The statistical population included 237 nurses working in Shahid Sadoughi Teaching Hospital, Yazd, who were selected by stratified random sampling. Two standard questionnaires with a 5-point Likert scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by SPSS24 using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The average moral intelligence of the studied nurses was 135.22 ± 22.30, and the average attitude of the nurses towards patient safety was 72.65 ± 17.32, indicating high moral intelligence and an average attitude towards patients safety in nurses in Shahid Sadoughi University. The results of Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between moral intelligence and nurses' attitude towards patient safety (r = 0.19, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Moral intelligence plays a role in predicting nurses' attitude towards patient safety; therefore, it seems that by strengthening the moral intelligence of nurses, their attitude towards patient safety can be influenced. To strengthen the moral intelligence of nurses and improve their attitude towards patient safety, professional ethics training, development of critical thinking skills and creation of ethical organizational culture can be used. Also, holding workshops to discuss ethical issues and support from ethical management can strengthen nurses in making ethical decisions and more responsible behavior in the field of patient safety.

Research on the Integration of Civics and Politics and Practice of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Programs in Colleges and Universities

With the deepening of educational reform in the new era, innovation and entrepreneurship education has gradually become an important means of cultivating high-quality talents in colleges and universities. However, it is difficult for pure technical education to meet the social demand for comprehensive development, and the integration of curriculum ideology and politics and practice into innovation and entrepreneurship education has become a key way to enhance students' professional ethics and social responsibility. This paper discusses the practical strategy of combining innovation and entrepreneurship education with curriculum ideology and politics in colleges and universities, and puts forward four paths of integration and practice in combination with the application in the medical field. These include enhancing teachers' ideological and political literacy and innovation and entrepreneurship education ability, optimizing curriculum design and teaching methods, constructing and optimizing practice platforms, and improving evaluation mechanisms and incentives, etc., aiming to comprehensively cultivate medical students' professional ethics, sense of social responsibility, and innovation and practice ability. The integration of curriculum ideology not only improves students' professional skills, but also shapes their correct values and sense of social responsibility at the ideological level, and delivers comprehensive medical talents that meet the needs of the new era for the society.

Teaching Reform and Practice of Soil Mechanics Course in the Context of Emerging Engineering Science

With the accelerated development of scientific and technological progress and industrial upgrading, Emerging Engineering Education has become the key to cultivate high-quality and innovative talents, and the teaching reform of the Soil Mechanics course, as a core basic course of civil engineering, is particularly important for adapting to the engineering needs of the new era. This paper discusses the teaching reform and practice of Soil Mechanics courses in the context of emerging engineering science, and puts forward the introduction of cutting-edge technology, updating course content, innovative teaching methods, the teaching quality of Soil Mechanics courses and the comprehensive quality of students, and other strategies, and seeks to promote the significant improvement of the quality of teaching and the quality of talents. Among them, the application of virtual reality and project-driven learning mode enhances students' practical ability and innovative thinking. The strengthening of practical teaching links and industry-university-research cooperation has enhanced the opportunities for students to participate in actual engineering projects, while the integration of Civic and Political Education has fostered students' professional ethics and sense of social responsibility. In the future, the course of Soil Mechanics will continue to adjust and optimise the teaching mode, cultivate high-quality civil engineering talents adapted to the needs of emerging engineering science, and provide powerful support for modern engineering construction.

Nurses' justifications for morally courageous acts in ethical conflicts: A narrative inquiry.

Background: Moral courage is defined as the courage to act in ethical conflicts based on individual or professional values despite the personal risks involved. Nurses justify their decisions to act morally courageously as part of their ethical decision-making. Objective: To describe registered nurses' justifications for acting morally courageously, or not, in ethical conflicts where they needed moral courage. Research design: A narrative inquiry with a holistic content approach was used. Individual, in-depth interviews were conducted in January-February 2023. The data were analysed using holistic content analysis. Participants and research context: Fourteen registered nurses with experience in situations where they needed moral courage participated. The nurses came from the somatic, palliative, mental health, and substance abuse care fields in Finland. Ethical considerations: Good scientific practice was followed. Ethical approval was obtained before data collection from the university's ethics committee. Findings: The nurses needed moral courage in ethical conflicts with patients present and between professionals. Individual responsibility, professional ethics, and emotions were identified as bases of nurses' justifications for morally courageous acts. The justifications for acting morally courageously, or not, had individual, contextual, and organisational perspectives. Morally courageous acts included starting a discussion about the conflict with other professionals and reporting the situation in writing within one's organisation. Discussion and conclusions: The identified bases and perspectives of justifications illustrate the complexity of nurses' decision-making in ethical conflicts, either leading to morally courageous acts or not. These results can inform nursing practice and research in developing processes to strengthen nurses' moral courage and examining relationships between moral courage and other concepts, such as moral resilience.

The Construction of College Teachers' Professional Ethics in the Digital Age

In the context of the digital age, facing the current situation that there is still a gap between the talents currently trained and the actual needs of the country, this paper first introduces the concept of the construction of professional ethics for college teachers and then points out the significance and challenges of the construction of professional ethics for college teachers in the context of the digital age. Finally, it introduces the path to improving the professional ethics of college teachers in the context of the digital age. It points out that as college teachers must be based on the present, focus on the future, dare to meet challenges, expand China, face the complex international situation, respond to the requirements of the digital age, adhere to serving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as an important mission of education, and continuously strengthen the construction of teachers’ professional. This can train qualified successors for the future of the motherland, improve students’ innovative consciousness, practical ability and enterprising spirit, and provide society with innovative, compound and applied talents required for economic transformation and upgrading.

The Reflection and Practice of Excellent Traditional Agricultural Culture in the Cultivation of Professional Qualities at Agricultural Colleges and Universities

The excellent traditional agricultural culture is an important cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, encompassing rich agricultural techniques, production methods, as well as ethics and social norms. Agricultural colleges and universities bear the responsibility of both preserving and innovating agricultural culture in the cultivation of professional qualities. This study aims to explore the specific reflection and practice of excellent traditional agricultural culture in the cultivation of professional qualities at agricultural colleges and universities. Through efforts in curriculum design, school-enterprise cooperation, and campus culture construction, the comprehensive enhancement of students’ professional ethics, abilities, and spirit is promoted. The research finds that traditional agricultural culture has unique advantages in cultivating students’ integrity, diligence, and pragmatism, and plays a crucial role in improving the professional qualities of students at agricultural colleges and universities.

"I Solemnly Swear": A Comparative Study of Codes of Professional Ethics amongst Pharmacists from Culturally Diverse European Countries.

Ethical practice is a universal concern for healthcare professionals, independent of their social, cultural, or religious background. This study aimed to assess and categorise statements published in codes of ethics for pharmacists from three diverse societies within the wider European area. The study followed a qualitative exploratory and triangular design, comparing the leading professional and ethical statements between three geographically apart countries (Portugal, Lithuania, and Turkey) and using the International Pharmaceutical Federation Code of Ethics proposal as a gold standard. Common core values such as honesty, integrity, and professional autonomy were identified across the countries' codes, suggesting that shared recognised core values underpin pharmacists' practice and policies in culturally diverse settings. None of the codes fully correspond to the framework the International Pharmaceutical Federation proposed. The analysis elicited significant inconsistencies between the codes for analogous practice models within the same continent. Further studies are needed to gain a more profound and comprehensive understanding of the underlying reasons for these discrepancies so that ethical weaknesses can be improved and harmonisation towards best-practice principles can benefit patients and healthcare systems.

Professional Ethics in the Commodity Economy

Research on professional ethics in the conditions of commodity economy aims to clarify the systematic transformation of natural functions into social tasks, thereby clarifying the moral life governed by standards and measured by money; profession is the object of life. The content of the article uses the methodology of humanistic and social philosophy, and combines qualitative methods in the study of moral life, in which humans are both the subject and the object of morality. The result has clarified the object of morality, which is the truth of life. However, the truth of life is standardized and measured by money, causing the truth to be distorted. Profession is joy, the mission of life, the truth, creativity, and freedom in profession, but working for money is suffering; that is, forced labor. The conclusion is that the right to own life in all species is the instinct of survival. Property rights make each individual a product of the family, religion, state, economic unit, and professional organization. Standards are the measure of occupation, and social status in the division of labor becomes the appropriation of money from each other, giving rise to class morality. The struggle is not to abolish humans but to abolish everything that is not human for sustainable development in a commodity economy.

Ethical Decision Dilemma for Tax Consultants in Tax Planning

Tax consultants contribute to assisting taxpayers in overcoming difficulties caused by the complexity of tax rules. Reliable tax consultants tend to provide aggressive advice. Tax consultants as professionals must uphold the code of ethics and applicable tax rules. In this condition, tax consultants are faced with a dilemma in making ethical decisions. This study aims to interpret more deeply how the integrity of tax consultants in facing ethical decision dilemmas in conducting tax planning using a transcendental phenomenological approach. The results of this study show that tax consultants face several dilemmas, including: ethical decision dilemmas due to unclear regulations and client interest factors and responsibility to the state for tax revenue. Experienced tax consultants can overcome the dilemma by continuing to exercise good self-control, and still adhere to the rules and code of professional ethics.

Hybrid Teaching Design for the "Software Project Management" Course

This paper investigates a hybrid instructional design to improve the educational outcomes of the "Software Project Management" course. Confronted with the challenges of globalization and rapid technological progress, traditional lecture-based teaching has proven inadequate to fulfill the goals of contemporary education. The hybrid teaching model merges online self-directed learning with in-person interactive sessions, facilitating the acquisition and application of knowledge and the enhancement of practical skills through pre-class video instruction, classroom discussions, and case analyses. The educational objectives encompass the transmission and internalization of knowledge, the cultivation of professional ethics, and the improvement of students' comprehensive qualities. The instructional process is meticulously designed to include pre-class self-study, in-class knowledge assessment, case study discussions, practical coursework, and final evaluations. Moreover, the study places a special focus on integrating ideological and political elements within the curriculum to elevate students' ideological and moral qualities.

The influence of European integration on the development of the concept of fair competition in Ukraine

Bona fide and fair competition is a form for implementation of the fairness principlein the economic activity. Fair competition in the modern economic turnover allows takinginto account and coordinating diverse interests of market participants, consumers,and the state, as well as achieving a necessary compromise in their implementation.Providing the legal framework for free and easy implementation of fair competition isone of the leading directions in the state legal policy implementation.Fair competition is the embodiment of certain moral, ethical and socio-historicalideas about good and evil in economic activity, which defines the boundaries of permissiblebehaviour, including competition. Thus, fair competition is the embodiment of moral and ethical ideals of good and justice, and the implementation of the rule of lawprinciple in economic (competitive) legal relations.The study of the problems of legal regulation of fair competition gives us the opportunityto assert that in Ukraine, repeated attempts by legislators and representatives of theAntimonopoly Committee of Ukraine to formulate more or less defined rules of fair competitionhave not been successful. The rules of professional ethics developed by entrepreneursin cooperation with chambers of commerce and industry and approved by the AntimonopolyCommittee of Ukraine, recommendations of advisory bodies and internationalnon-governmental organizations and unions, and judgments of the European Court ofHuman Rights remain an effective mechanism for implementing the principles of goodfaith of participants in competitive competition.The key to effective development of economic relations in Ukraine is the gradual integrationof Ukraine's economic system into the global economic world, which is possibleonly through the unification and harmonisation of the current legislation within theframework of regional and universal trade agreements. For Ukraine, as a candidate countryfor EU accession, it is important to finalise the implementation of European legislationinto the legal system of Ukraine, to decide on the conceptual framework for the protectionof trade secrets and the model of unification of European law affecting the development ofcompetition in certain markets at the national level.

Relationship between artificial intelligence and legal education: A bibliometric analysis

This study aims to explore past research trends and identify key future directions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and legal education. The study’s data were gathered from the Scopus database, comprising 68 selected documents spanning from 1999 to 2024. The research methodology involves the use of VOSviewer software for bibliometric analysis. The results reveal that research on artificial intelligence and legal education, while still limited, has been undertaken in various countries, focusing on five primary research directions, including: (1) Improving technical education systems in colleges and universities through educational technology and modern legal learning systems; (2) Application of artificial intelligence and algorithms in the legal field; (3) Applying computational theory and e-learning technology in legal education; (4) Legal education and legal knowledge; (5) Digital transformation in the field of legal training. Based on the research results, five future research directions on this topic are also proposed, including: (1) Application of artificial intelligence in analyzing and predicting legal trends; (2) Artificial intelligence in personalizing the legal learning experience; (3) Artificial intelligence and legal professional ethics; (4) Development of artificial intelligence tools supporting legal teaching and research; and (5) Integration of artificial intelligence into online learning systems for legal education.