2012 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 37-47
〔Aim〕The aim of this research is to clarify the connection of ethical sensitivity with nursing students’ backgrounds, classes taken on nursing ethics, and prosocial behavior.
〔Method〕A study was made of 733 students majoring in nursing at four different schools. The study covered their background factors, classes taken on nursing ethics, a scale for prosocial behavior in college students（20 items）, and a specially created survey on ethical sensitivity （34 questions）.
〔Results〕As a result of the analysis of valid answers from 364 students, many of the survey items for third-year students showed lower ethical sensitivity than those of first- or second-year students. Also, students with volunteering experience or those who had taken classes in nursing ethics rated higher on the scale of prosocial behavior than students who had experience working as a full-time employee or having a part-time job.
〔Considerations〕As students’ clinical training experiences pile up in their third year, it becomes difficult to stay conscious of the ethical problems. However, since increasing sympathy is thought to increase ethical sensitivity, this research concludes that it is necessary to find a way to incorporate ethics into nursing education.
