Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Prepared for practice? UK Foundation doctors' confidence in dealing with ethical issues in the workplace.

Prepared for practice? UK Foundation doctors' confidence in dealing with ethical issues in the workplace. Thumbnail


Abstract

This paper investigates the medical law and ethics (MEL) learning needs of Foundation doctors (FYs) by means of a national survey developed in association with key stakeholders including the General Medical Council and Health Education England. Four hundred sevnty-nine doctors completed the survey. The average self-reported level of preparation in MEL was 63%. When asked to rate how confident they felt in approaching three cases of increasing ethical complexity, more FYs were fully confident in the more complex cases than in the more standard case. There was no apparent relationship with confidence and reported teaching at medical school. The less confident doctors were no more likely to ask for further teaching on the topic than the confident doctors. This suggests that FYs can be vulnerable when facing ethical decisions by being underprepared, not recognising their lack of ability to make a reasoned decision or by being overconfident. Educators need to be aware of this and provide practical MEL training based on trainee experiences and real-world ethics and challenge learners' views. Given the complexities of many ethical decisions, preparedness should not be seen as the ability to make a difficult decision but rather a recognition that such cases are difficult, that doubt is permissible and the solution may well be beyond the relatively inexperienced doctor. Educators and supervisors should therefore be ensuring that this is clear to their trainees. This necessitates an environment in which questions can be asked and uncertainty raised with the expectation of a supportive response.

Acceptance Date Mar 20, 2020
Publication Date Apr 10, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Journal of Medical Ethics
Print ISSN 0306-6800
Publisher BMJ Publishing Group
DOI https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2019-105961
Publisher URL https://jme.bmj.com/content/47/12/e25

Files




Downloadable Citations