Liberal arts and ethics education in nursing: A national survey

Background: Liberal arts education is foundational to nursing yet its integration in nursing curriculum is unknown. Ethics content is crucial in nursing education and holds potential as an area in which integration can occur. Research on the liberal arts and ethics in nursing education is lacking. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct an assessment of liberal arts, particularly ethics, education in schools of nursing. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used. An anonymous, online survey was sent to representatives from 871 accredited schools of nursing across the United States. Results: Representatives from 218 schools responded. Most programs covered liberal arts content in pre/corequisites and embedded ethics content. Most faculty members teaching ethics had no ethics training/education. There was a mismatch between what respondents reported as the most important ethics content to cover and the content covered. Common teaching strategies used to deliver ethics content were case studies, textbooks, small group discussions, and lectures. Conclusion: Liberal arts content can be disconnected from nursing education. There is a need for consensus regarding ethics education in nursing. There is a need for research related to the integration of the liberal arts and research on ethics in nursing education in general.