Thesis advisor: Pamela J. Grace / Nurses working in newborn intensive care units (NICU) report experiencing ethical dilemmas related to treatment decisions for infants in their care. The opportunity for nurses to contribute to the formulation of treatment plans for these infants is increasing, but often nurses are required to implement treatment plans with which they may not agree. This causes conflict for the nurse and has been shown to have implications for the nurse and, ultimately, nursing and healthcare practice. Not taking action to resolve the perceived dilemma is especially problematic on several counts (Raines, 1996). Nurse Activism, the outcome variable, is defined as the range of likely actions nurses may take to resolve ethical dilemmas in practice (Penticuff & Walden, 1987). This cross-sectional study investigated the range of likely actions that nurses would take in response to a hypothetical ethical dilemma. The web-based survey was completed by 224 NICU nurses from seven Massachusetts hospitals. Subjects responded to the Nurses Ethical Involvement Survey (Penticuff & Walden, 1987) and demographic questions. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis found that NICU nurses with greater concern for the ethical aspects of clinical practice (p = .001) and an increased perception of their ability to influence ethical decision-making (p = .018) were more likely to exhibit nurse activism to resolve an ethical dilemma and these findings explained just 8.5 percent of the variance. Future research is necessary to determine other factors contributing to, and inhibiting the actions of, nurses to resolve ethical dilemmas encountered in the NICU. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

Uppsatsens syfte är genom att föra Hartman och Osbecks forskningsresultat vidare gentemot uppsatsens resultat, diskutera hur läroböckernas textinnehåll stämmer överens eller skiljer sig åt med utgångspunkt i James Rest’s Four – Component model och tidigare forskningsverk, kommer denna examensuppsats bidra med en ökad förståelse för hur läroböcker kan tänkas ge möjligheter till att elever fördjupa sina moraliska resonemang utifrån ett religions didaktiskt perspektiv.  Forskningsmetoden som använts i denna uppsats är en kvalitativ innehållsanalys utifrån en analysmodell som grundar sig i Osbecks analysmodells kategorier över de etiska kompetenserna: Tänka över information, Genomföra handling, Ta in information och värdegrundsriktning. Uppsats resultat är att inte alla de granskande läroböckerna innehåller de exempelbegrepp som anges i lgr11, samt inte innehåller vardagliga moraliska frågeställningar som berör det innehåll som också framkommer i lgr11 för ämnet religion. Resultatet gav inte heller ett överensstämmande resultat med Osbecks forskningsresultat som hävdar att läroplanen bara stämmer överens med FCM steg 3 och 4. Då denna uppsats resultat uppvisar att frågeställningarna kan tänkas utveckla elevers moraliska resonemang utifrån FCM två steg: 2 – moralisk bedömning och steg 3 – moralisk motivation. / The purpose of the thesis is by advancing Hartman and Osbeck's research results towards the results of the thesis, discussing how the textual content of textbooks corresponds or differs based on James Rest's Four – Component model and previous research works, this thesis will provide an increased understanding of how textbooks might provide opportunities for studentsto deepen their moral reasoning from the didactic perspective of a religion.  The research method used in this thesis is a qualitative content analysis based on an analysis model based on Osbeck's analysis model's categories of ethical competences: Rethinking information, Conducting action, Taking in information and Values.  The thesis’s result that not all the reviewing textbooks contain the example concepts set out in lgr11, and do not contain everyday moral questions that touch on the content that also appears in lgr11 for the subject of religion. The results also did not match Osbeck's research findings, which claim that the curriculum is only consistent with FCM steps 3 and 4. Since this paper's results show that the questions may develop students' moral reasoning based on FCM two steps: 2 – moral judgment and step 3 – moral motivation.