Reflecting Together on Medical Ethics: Hearing from the Hepatitis B Appeal Plaintiffs and Their Legal Team

Partner Institutions: Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University, Iwate University of Health and Medical Sciences

[Project Objectives and Methods]

Recognizing the importance of teaching medical and nursing ethics from the very first year, Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University and Iwate University of Health and Medical Sciences are experimenting with various approaches to nursing education.

The objectives of this regional project were: (1) to raise awareness of ethical issues through lectures by the Hepatitis B Appeal Plaintiffs’ Group and their legal team, and to reflect on the responsibilities of healthcare professionals; and (2) to gain hands-on experience with the dialogue and collaboration necessary for addressing ethical issues through interaction with students from other universities (presentations on group work and exchange of opinions).The class was conducted as a joint first-year course (remote class) between member institutions. First, the Hepatitis B Appeal Plaintiffs’ Group and their legal team gave a lecture to first-year nursing students from both universities. Next, group work sessions were held at each university to discuss the content of the lecture.The focus of the group work was: (1) identifying ethical issues and challenges; (2) considering “what can be done and what should be done” to resolve these issues, and exchanging opinions; and (3) reflecting on the provision of safe healthcare and patient-centered care as students aspiring to become nurses. Finally, member institutions were connected online, and each university presented the results of their group work. After receiving feedback from the instructors, the students shared their learning regarding ethical issues.

[Results]

Students shared comments such as, “I’ve come to realize once again that the words and actions of healthcare professionals have a profound impact on patients’ lives, and that decisions made by the government and the medical community can determine whether people live or die. As future healthcare professionals, I want to always remember the importance of putting ourselves in others’ shoes, upholding their dignity, and acquiring accurate knowledge,” and “While healthcare offers immense benefits, a single wrong decision can alter the course of many people’s lives.” For students aspiring to become nurses, the class provided an opportunity to reflect on the importance of delivering safe care and providing patient-centered care.

Furthermore, although the classes were held remotely, sharing their thoughts and what they had learned with students from other universities during joint sessions allowed students who were just beginning their nursing studies to inspire one another, which helped maintain and boost their motivation to study nursing.

After the joint class concluded, we sent the students’ post-class reports to the Hepatitis B Appeal Plaintiffs’ Group and their legal team, who had led the lecture. We reported that hearing the firsthand accounts of the plaintiffs and their legal team provided a valuable opportunity for students aspiring to become nurses to think concretely about “providing safe medical care and patient-centered care.” The legal team replied, “It is very encouraging to see that all of you have carefully completed your reports. We will share them with the plaintiffs as well.”

[Future Challenges]

In preparation for the joint class, it was necessary to coordinate the schedules between the two universities. Since the start and end times of classes differed, we were able to hold the joint class by having Iwate University of Health and Medical Sciences align its class times with those of Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University; however, it was necessary to coordinate the schedule at an early stage, such as before the final timetables were set.Ultimately, while Objective 1 of the regional project was largely achieved, Objective 2—“To experientially learn about the dialogue and collaboration necessary when addressing ethical issues through interaction with students from other universities (presentations on group work and exchange of opinions)”—was not fully realized due to insufficient class time to facilitate “dialogue and collaboration.”When organizing joint classes between universities, we believe it is necessary not only to coordinate schedules but also to carefully consider the content and methods of the classes to ensure that students from different universities can engage in “dialogue and collaboration regarding ethical issues.”

Looking ahead, we believe that these joint classes have provided an opportunity to review the content of our nursing education and have helped us refine our courses. We intend to continue our inter-university collaboration in the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions and use it to further enhance the quality of our nursing education.

We are deeply grateful to have been selected for the 2025 District Activity Project, which provided us with an opportunity for nursing universities to interact, fostering exchanges among students and faculty, sharing information on nursing education curricula, and reviewing our course content.