Neonatal Ethics Teaching Program - Scenario Oriented Learning in Ethics: Unexpected Birth Malformation

Abstract

Neonatal Ethics Teaching Program – Scenario Oriented Learning in Ethics (SOLE): Unexpected Birth Malformation. SOLE uses standardized patients (SPs) as a teaching tool to impart knowledge on the principal and the 3 key competencies of the Neonatal Ethics Teaching Program that trainees are expected to acquire before completing their Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) training at the University of Ottawa. Furthermore, this workshop provides trainees the opportunity to practice and learn how they would interact with a true patient in a given clinical scenario. The goal of this workshop is to help trainees show improvement in their communication skills and demonstrate appropriate application of ethical principles when they have to interact with parents in delicate, difficult, and ethically charged situations regarding their child. Trainees are encouraged to refer to a procedural form that outlines the steps they should follow during a one on one medical encounter and use the SP as a teaching tool. This SOLE is specific to the malformed child scenario where trainees are taught to recognize the typical emotional reactions of parents to an unexpected malformation at birth; describe ways to promote bonding between the parent and child; and learn at least three things parents want from physicians during disclosure of a birth malformation.