Pakistan Journal of Ethics

Ethical Considerations in Laboratory

Fiza Abdul Rasheed — 2023-06-29

Background: In laboratory research, ethical considerations are paramount. Researchers must ensure informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality of data, minimizing harm to participants, justifying and minimizing deception, upholding animal welfare if applicable, complying with regulations, and disclosing any conflicts of interest. Addressing these ensures responsible and ethical conduct in the laboratory setting. This paper investigates the participant's opinions about the ethical considerations in the laboratory.
Methodology: It was an observational study consisting of 200 participants. The study was conducted over three months (September to November 2022). Participants were recruited through a random sampling technique from the Kohi Goth Hospital and Atia General Hospital, Karachi.
Results: It was found that the majority of the participants reported that ethical considerations in reporting laboratory results involve accuracy, avoiding bias, respecting participants' privacy, providing context, ensuring replicability, handling sensitive data ethically, undergoing peer review, and embracing open science practices. Upholding these principles ensures research integrity and contributes to scientific advancement responsibly.
Conclusion: It is crucial to reaffirm ethical commitments. This includes ensuring participant welfare, maintaining honesty and integrity in reporting, responsibly interpreting results, considering the research's impact, adhering to guidelines and regulations, advocating for transparency and reproducibility, and committing to continuous improvement in ethical practices. These elements underscore the dedication to upholding ethical standards and promoting credible scientific inquiry.

The Utilization of Google Classroom In Learning To Psychology Students’ Cognitive Learning Outcomes

Ujala Sajid — 2023-06-29

Background: The utilization of Google Classroom in psychology education has seen a notable increase in recent years, prompting a study to explore its impact on students' cognitive learning outcomes in psychology courses. This study aimed to investigate the influence of Google Classroom on students' cognitive learning outcomes in psychology courses through a quasi-experimental design comparing two groups of students.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental approach was employed, involving the administration of pre-test and post-test measures of cognitive learning outcomes to two student groups. One group received psychology instruction via Google Classroom, while the other group received traditional instruction.
Results: The results revealed that the group instructed through Google Classroom exhibited significantly higher post-test scores compared to the group receiving traditional instruction. This outcome suggests a positive correlation between the use of Google Classroom and enhanced cognitive learning outcomes in psychology courses.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the utilization of Google Classroom can have a beneficial impact on students' cognitive learning outcomes in psychology education, highlighting the potential of technology-enhanced learning environments in fostering academic achievement.

The Ethics of Empowerment: Mentorship, Autonomy, and Academic Boundaries

Syeda Farah Batool — 2023-06-29

Background: Academic institutions need to have clear policies, reporting mechanisms, and support systems in place to address boundary violations promptly and effectively. Prevention and education regarding professional boundaries are equally crucial to minimize the likelihood of such violations occurring and to maintain a healthy, respectful academic environment. This research paper aims to contribute to the academic discourse surrounding the professor-student relationship, emphasizing the importance of professional boundaries for the benefit of all stakeholders in higher education.
Methodology: This study employs a qualitative research design to comprehensively investigate professional boundaries in the professor-student relationship. In-depth interviews were conducted with a select group of participants, including professors, students, and academic administrators. These interviews provide rich qualitative data, allowing for a deeper exploration of experiences and insights.
Results: Qualitative results reveal rich insights into the experiences and perceptions of professors, students, and academic administrators regarding professional boundaries. These qualitative results highlight the complexity of the professor-student relationship and the importance of addressing professional boundaries in academia. They also emphasize the need for ongoing dialogue, education, and institutional support to ensure that these boundaries are understood, respected, and maintained to create a safe and conducive learning environment.
Conclusion: The maintenance of professional boundaries in the professor-student relationship is of paramount importance in the academic context. These boundaries have ethical, pedagogical, and practical significance that cannot be overstated. Ethically, they safeguard students' autonomy, protect against exploitation, and prevent harm. Pedagogically, they ensure the focus remains on learning, objectivity in assessment, and positive role modeling.

Fostering Compassionate Nursing Practice: Integrating Virtue Ethics and the Right-Action Approach Through Critical Companionship

Ramsha Alam — 2023-06-29

Background: The right-action approach typically articulated in codes of ethics, establishes fundamental standards for professional behavior but may fall short in fostering a compassionate mindset. In contrast, virtue ethics prioritizes the development of moral virtues essential for empathetic care. This paper investigates the integration of principles from both the right-action approach and virtue ethics within nursing education, aiming to enhance ethical reflection and critical thinking among nurses.
Methodology: It was an observational study based on the focus group discussions (FGDs). Each focus group consisted of 10 nurses and a total of three focus groups were conducted in a period of two months (November to December 2022). Nurses were recruited through a random sampling technique from the Kohi Goth Hospital, Karachi.
Results: Results indicated the important connection between the integration of both principles of right action and virtue ethics. Nurses experience that the addition of virtual ethics and the right action approach facilitates them to integrate ethical principles with practical reasoning, fostering patient-centered and evidence-based care. According to the responses generated through Focal Group Discussions (FGDs), most nurses emphasized the significance of nurturing skilled companionship through critical reflection in nursing practice. . . Furthermore, the role of codes of ethics was also underscored as foundational guidance for them, providing essential frameworks for ethical reflection and professional conduct, particularly in challenging care scenarios.
Conclusion: The integration of critical companionship complements the teachings of codes of ethics in nursing education and curriculum, contributing significantly to the development of competent and ethical nursing professionals.

Nursing Ethics Education: Fostering Moral Courage through Pedagogy in the Pakistani Context

Ujala Sajid — 2023-06-29

Background: Nursing students in Pakistan must graduate prepared to bravely enact the art and science of nursing in environments infiltrated with ethical challenges. Given the necessity and moral obligation of nurses to engage in discourse within nursing ethics, nursing students must be provided a morally supportive learning space for these opportunities. The Pakistani healthcare sector is hampered by the absence of ethics courses in the curriculum, the non-existence of hospital ethics committees or Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in most hospitals, and the existence of only one non-indexed ethics journal. The objective of this research is to explore the influence of a structured self-assessment tool called the "Engagement Self-Assessment" (ESA) on the alignment and creation of a brave space in a nursing ethics course for nursing students in Pakistan.
Methodology: This study used an exploratory, cross-sectional survey design. Data from 39 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a nursing course using the ESA were recruited from Koohi Goth College of Nursing and Midwifery, Karachi-Pakistan. Participation was voluntary and informed without coercion. Written consent was obtained before participation. Research ethics approval was obtained by the Institutional Research Ethics Board of the Malir University of Science and Technology.
Results: The ESA provided structured self-reflection on the impact of shared vulnerability within a brave space. However, commitment to a brave space was not strongly influenced by the ESA, but rather by a mutual "commitment to others."
Conclusion: A teaching tool such as an ESA can be used to facilitate instructor expectations of civil discourse and discussion of difficult topics. Rules of engagement such as those found in brave spaces can help transform fear of vulnerability into authentic growth for learners. A morally supportive learning space can support critical opportunities for ethical development. This study provides insight into how self-assessment and the use of a brave space in nursing ethics education can facilitate a morally supportive learning space in the Pakistani context.