Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the support provided by the CNSs(Certified Nurse Specialists)in an ethics education program related to nurses’ moral efficacy and to discuss the role of CNS consultation and ethics coordination. We introduced action research into the research method, conversations on nursing practice of ethical cases between participating nurses and the CNSs were recorded, and the verbatim transcripts were analyzed qualitatively and descriptively. As a result, the following six categories of CNSs’ practices were extracted; “Leading the participants’ concerns to the essence of the problem”, “Assessing participants’ abilities and selecting feasible educational methods”, “Proposing strategies for solving ethical issues”, “Utilizing and coordinating resources”, “Providing support and leading to realization while paying attention to the energy of the participants ”, “Drawing out the participant’s abilities and realize a practice that will lead to confidence”. The CNSs support may have enhanced the participants’ sense of self-efficacy and influenced their ethical decision-making and ethical practice. This suggests the importance of the ethical coordination and consultation role of the CNSs in this program.
