Abstract

BackgroundCompared to basic or applied clinical sciences, bioethics is frequently considered as a secondary discipline and underutilized in daily practice. However, ethical reasoning is indispensable for the quality of care. There are few studies on bioethics in pediatric emergen-cy units. Our objective was to evaluate the perception of the acquired bioethical knowledge and the application of bioethical principles in standardized cases.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study in medical and nursing professionals working at pediatric emergency units in Puerto Montt. Through a survey, we assessed the perception of the sufficiency of the acquired bioethics knowledge and the application of bioethical principles on hypothetical, but probable cases in emergency pediatric care.ResultsOf a total population of 50 physicians and 53 nurses, 30 physicians (60.0%) and 20 nurses (38.7%) participated in our study. The majority reported ethics training in undergraduate education: 84%. A minority reported training during practice: 20%. However, only 60.0% perceived having sufficient knowledge of bioethics and 72.0% considered it important for daily practice. Further, when applying the principles of Beauchamp and Childress to standardized clinical cases, 82.7% did not recognize the justice principle and only 50.00% the principles of autonomy and nonmaleficence.ConclusionAlthough most health professionals undergo bioethics training, learning is often considered insufficient and not incorporated into daily practice at pediatric emergency units.