Ethical Dilemmas as Perceived by Healthcare Students With Teaching Implications

Ethical dilemmas are experienced by all individuals, but are especially prevalent among healthcare professionals. Universities and colleges preparing students to work and provide care in this arena are currently addressing this challenge through traditional ethics courses and lectures. However, student perspectives of the major ethical dilemmas in healthcare, as well as the differences among student disciplines, have not been identified. This study reports what students from six healthcare majors believe are the primary healthcare dilemmas today. Then, each healthcare discipline identified unique insights and implications of these dilemmas. These findings should lead to a consideration for more relevant ethics courses and curriculums within colleges and universities.