The use of inter-professional education (IPE) healthcare law and ethics scenario based learning sessions amongst nursing, midwifery and law students: A qualitative investigation.

BACKGROUND: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2018) require registrants to practice ethically and lawfully. Nevertheless, in 2019-2020, the NMC received 5704 referrals regarding registrants' fitness to practice, many of these referrals related to registrants' criminality, clinical competence, and misconduct. Additionally, litigation within healthcare remains a concern. NHS Resolution (2020) reported costs of payments relating to clinical negligence schemes of £2324.2 million in 2019/20. This paper discusses a qualitative investigation of healthcare law and ethics teaching and learning within undergraduate midwifery and nursing curricula and the use of scenario based (inter-professional education) IPE sessions amongst nursing, midwifery and law students. METHODS: Two scenario based IPE sessions attended by nursing, midwifery and law students were delivered in addition to existing curricula. Scenarios were based on real life cases. Students collaborated to identify means of managing legal and ethical issues arising from the scenarios. Sessions were facilitated by lecturers from the schools of law, midwifery and nursing. Semi structured interviews were completed with IPE session participants and academics with an interest in healthcare law and ethics (students n = 3, academic staff n = 3). Thematic content analysis was applied to interview data. Findings Scenario based IPE sessions are valued by participants who claim they are effective in enabling the development of knowledge and understanding of healthcare law and ethics while providing insight into the application of theory in practice. Participants claimed that healthcare law and ethics was a fundamental part of caring professions and essential to nursing and midwifery curricula. CONCLUSION: Substantial numbers of nurses and midwives are called to account by their professional body and in law for issues related to their practice, with significant financial and personal costs. Healthcare law and ethics remains fundamental to professional practice with IPE scenario based sessions offering a means to develop knowledge and enable students to consider ethical, legal and professional issues.

The use of inter-professional education (IPE) healthcare law and ethics scenario based learning sessions amongst nursing, midwifery and law students: An evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Litigation and disciplinary action taken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) against nurses' remains a concern with costs of claims against the NHS increasing by 72% over the five years up to 2015/16 with almost £1.5 billion spent in one year alone. Additionally, 5476 referrals regarding registrants' fitness to practice were made to the NMC in 2016-2017. The aims of this paper are to discuss how a pair of scenario based IPE sessions focussed on healthcare law and ethical topics were introduced as an addition to the existing nursing and midwifery curricula and to report the evaluation of these sessions. METHODS: Two scenario based sessions attended by nursing, midwifery and law students were delivered as an addition to existing nursing, midwifery and law curricula. The scenarios were based on real life cases and students collaborated to identify means of managing legal and ethical issues arising from the scenarios. These sessions were facilitated by lecturers from the schools of law, midwifery and nursing. FINDINGS: All attending students completed an evaluation questionnaire. Student evaluations indicated that the experience of working through the scenarios with their colleagues from other disciplines had enabled them to gain further knowledge and understanding around healthcare law and ethics. Student evaluations indicated a high level of engagement and interest in the subject and also drew attention to the supportive structure of the IPE sessions. CONCLUSION: Nurses and midwives continue to be called to account by both their professional body and in law for issues related to their practice. A way to enable students to consider this and aid their preparation for clinical and professional practice is through the use of clinically and professionally relevant healthcare law and ethics scenarios in IPE sessions.