Designing, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Nursing Ethics Training Application Based on Professional Error Analysis for Smartphones

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to design and evaluate the effectiveness of an educational application in the field of nursing ethics. The primary objective was to examine the impact of the application on enhancing ethical awareness and user satisfaction, with a focus on analyzing professional errors and the educational needs of nursing students. Methods: This quasi-experimental study with a one-group, pre-test, and post-test design was conducted in December 2023 at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, involving 60 second-semester nursing students who had not yet completed the professional ethics training program. Convenient sampling was used. Initially, an educational needs assessment was conducted through interviews with nursing ethics specialists and a curriculum review. Subsequently, a nursing ethics education application was designed and developed, focusing on professional errors. A wireframe was created emphasizing a simple user interface and features such as videos, images, charts, audio playback, user progress tracking, and feedback provision. After incorporating expert feedback, the application was piloted with 10 students to address any operational issues. Upon finalization, the application was made available to the study participants, and its effectiveness was evaluated using a researcher-developed ethical awareness questionnaire and the standardized User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and descriptive and analytical statistical methods. Results: The results indicated a statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores (p-value = 0.019), suggesting the positive impact of the application on enhancing students' ethical awareness. Additionally, the user satisfaction assessment indicated high satisfaction with the application. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the use of innovative technologies and application-based educational approaches can significantly improve nursing students' ethical awareness regarding professional errors, thereby promoting the provision of care based on ethical principles. Keywords: Ethics education, nursing, educational application, mobile application, ethical decision-making