Ethical Considerations for Children Undergoing Surgery: Evaluation of Graduate Nursing Students’ Learning

Ariane Gautrin; Yi Wen Wang; Raissa Passos dos Santos; Franco A. Carnevale; Amanda Cervantes; Argerie Tsimicalis

doi:10.25071/2291-5796.168

Authors

Ariane Gautrin, RN, MSc N. McGill University
Yi Wen Wang, RN, M.Ed., PhD(c) McGill University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6824-6678
Raissa Passos dos Santos, RN, PhD McGill University, Université de Montréal, Hôpital Sainte-Justine
Franco A. Carnevale, RN, PhD McGill University, Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada
Amanda Cervantes, RN McGill University https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5543-203X
Argerie Tsimicalis, RN, PhD McGill University, Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5963-9728

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25071/2291-5796.168

Keywords:

Surgery, Children, Nursing, Online Learning, Ethics

Abstract

Background: To challenge dominant conceptions of children and innovate nursing education, our team created an open-access training module (https://childsxethics.net/) addressing ethical considerations for children undergoing surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the level of Bloom’s Taxonomy cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning reached by graduate nursing students after completing the training module.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Data sources comprised of participants’ course assignments.

Results: Participants (n=19) wrote 19 online reflections, 43 peer responses and completed two group assignments. The module and associated class assignments promoted high levels of cognitive and affective learning. The type of assignment influenced participants’ levels of learning. Cognitive and affective learning processes were enhanced when integrating reflections and fostering interactions among learners.

Implications: Study findings will inform future iterations of the training module. Our innovative educational resource will facilitate the recognition of children as active moral agents and improve their surgical experiences.

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Author Biographies

Ariane Gautrin, RN, MSc N. , McGill University

Ariane Gautrin is a registered nurse working at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. She completed both her Master’s degree in Nursing and her Bachelor’s degree in Arts (Philosophy) at McGill University. Her research interests focus on improving nursing care for children and incorporating ethics into clinical practice.

Yi Wen Wang, RN, M.Ed., PhD(c), McGill University

Yi Wen Wang, RN, M.Ed., BScN is a PhD student at McGill University. She is the recipient of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fellowship. Her research focuses on the us of arts-based methods to elicit children's perspectives, foster partnerships, and create child-centric educational health resources.

Raissa Passos dos Santos, RN, PhD, McGill University, Université de Montréal, Hôpital Sainte-Justine

Dr. Raíssa Passos dos Santos is a postdoctoral researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center and Université de Montréal. She specializes in pediatric pain management and knowledge translation, with a particular focus on innovative non-pharmacological interventions such as virtual reality. Dr. Santos holds a PhD in Nursing Science from McGill University, where her research focused on the health experiences of children with medical complexity. She has received numerous awards, including the David McCutcheon Pediatric Palliative Care Doctoral Fellowship and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé McGill University scholarship. Dr. Santos is committed to integrating ethical perspectives into clinical practice and improving the quality of life for children with complex medical needs. Her expertise in participatory research approaches is particularly relevant to her work with marginalized populations, including children with complex needs.

Franco A. Carnevale, RN, PhD, McGill University, Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada

Franco A. Carnevale (RN, PhD) is a nurse, psychologist and clinical ethicist. Professor Carnevale's primary research interests include a wide range of concerns in childhood ethics. Professor Carnevale is the founder and principal investigator for VOICE (i.e., Views On Interdisciplinary Childhood Ethics); a McGill-based international initiative to advance knowledge and practices relating to ethical concerns in childhood. Professor Carnevale’s current academic appointments include (all at McGill University): Full Professor, Ingram School of Nursing; Associate Member, Faculty of Medicine (Pediatrics); Adjunct Professor, Counselling Psychology; Affiliate Member, Biomedical Ethics Unit. His clinical appointments include: Clinical Ethicist for Child, Adolescent, and Family Services and Director of the Nursing Research Program (Research Centre) at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute; Chair of the Clinical Ethics Committee at the Shriner's Hospitals for Children (Canada); Clinical Ethics Consultant at The Lighthouse, Children and Families (pediatric hospice); and Associate Member of Pediatric Critical Care and Nursing Advisor at the Montreal Children's Hospital-McGill University Health Centre. Professor Carnevale is a founding member of the McGill Qualitative Health Research Group (MQHRG).

Amanda Cervantes, RN, McGill University

Amanda Cervantes is a Faculty Lecturer and Assistant Program Director of the BScN at the Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University. Her teaching focuses on Children’s Nursing, Critical Care, and Anti-Racism in Undergraduate and Graduate nursing education. She started her career as a nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Argerie Tsimicalis, RN, PhD, McGill University, Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada

Argerie Tsimicalis, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor at McGill University and Nurse Scientist at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada. Dr. Tsimicalis is the recipient of a Junior 2 Research Scholar Award from the Quebec Research Funds- Health (FRQS). Her research focuses on collaboratively creating new programs, structures, and resources to transform the delivery of children's health services locally and globally.

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