An evaluation of teaching and learning accountable practice in nurse education

Abstract

Accountability is a fundamental concept that underpins our approach and expectations of professional practice, though academics have struggled to define what accountability is. In spite of the lack of consensus on a definition for accountability, we have endeavoured to develop our students’ understanding of the legal, ethical and professional frameworks that inform accountable practice and provide a means by which they will in the future influence practice and promote service improvement.

The study adopts an action research approach involving a pre- and post-module questionnaire and focus group interviews. The questionnaire was administered to 105 student nurses from adult, child, mental health and learning disability fields. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive content analysis in terms of number counts related to the responses to the qualitative questions and SPSS was used to compute numerical responses. The analysis was conducted by three reviewers familiar with the module and had provided significant teaching input into accountable practice. Twenty students were invited to participate in focus group interviews.

Having undertaken the module our students had a greater understanding of accountability and the frameworks that support accountable practice. Students having undertaken the module demonstrate a wider and more thorough understanding of what it means to be an accountable practitioner and have a greater understanding of the ethical, legal and professional imperatives inherent in being an accountable practitioner.

Keywords:

• professional: code of conduct
• accountability and responsibility
• ethics: confidentiality, ethical principles (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice)
• legal: informed consent
• mental capacity
• mental health act