ASSESSING ETHICAL COMPETENCE AMONGST NURSING STUDENTS IN GHANA: A CASE STUDY AT CHRISTIAN SERVICE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Background: Ethical competence is an essential part of nursing practice and education, particularly as healthcare systems adjust to mounting moral, cultural, and clinical demands. In ii Ghana, few empirical studies have assessed the ethical preparedness of nursing students and particularly in faith-based institutions where there is the potential of combining religious values and professional responsibility. Objective: The study aimed to assess the level of ethical capability among nursing students in Christian Service University in Ghana, and further investigate the influence of demographic factors such as age and education level on their ethical performance. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed. The sample size of 214 nursing students was taken through stratified random sampling from second-year, third-year, and final-year groups. The information were collected using the Nursing Student Care Ethical Competence Scale developed by Yoshioka and Kaneko (2019), measuring five most critical aspects of ethical competence: provision of safe care, respect for self-determination, protection of personal information, provision of best possible care, and respect for personal dignity. Responses were scored using a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (t-tests and ANOVA) were used in the analysis of the data. Results: Overall ethical competence mean score was 3.478 (SD = 0.6078), indicating high competence. The highest average scores were in protecting personal information (M = 3.553), respecting self-determination (M = 3.538), and providing the best possible care (M = 3.497), all rated as "high" competence. But safe care assurance had a mean of 3.355, on the level of "moderate." ANOVA tests failed to determine statistically significant differences in relation to students' education level (p > 0.05), as ethical development was uniform across academic years. Conclusion: Christian Service University nursing students exhibit superior ethical competence in patient rights, confidentiality, and care provision. However, moderate competence in safe care delivery suggests the need for experiential learning-based targeted experiences and ethics simulated practice. The findings highlight the importance of turning ethical theory into practice in nursing education, particularly in faith-based institutions where moral and professional ethics should coexist harmoniously. Keywords: ethical competence, nursing students, Christian Service University, patient care, nursing ethics, Ghana, professional ethics, ethical decision-making ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our supervisor Dr. Simon Akwasi Osei Ph.D RN at Christian Service University for his invaluable guidance, support and encouragement throughout the course of this research. His insightful feedback and constant motivation played a significant role in shaping this work. iii We are also grateful to the faculty and staff of the Nursing department at Christian Service University for their support and assistance during our studies. Our heartfelt thanks go to our family and friends for their unwavering encouragement and understanding throughout this journey. Above all, we thank God for granting us the strength and wisdom to complete this research successfully.