Background: This study examined the effectiveness of integrating the Socratic dialogue method into a graduate-level nursing ethics course to enhance students' ethical reasoning and reflective learning. Method: A mixed-methods design was employed, including pre- and postcourse critical thinking assessments and qualitative analysis of students' reflective discussions. Results: Quantitative findings indicated significant improvement in critical thinking disposition. Qualitative data revealed deeper moral reasoning, collaborative inquiry, and increased confidence in ethical decision-making. Conclusion: The Socratic dialogue method fostered reflective engagement and critical discourse, supporting its use as an evidence-based teaching strategy in nursing ethics education. Nurse educators can adopt this approach to cultivate reflective practitioners capable of moral reasoning in complex clinical contexts.
Lee et al. (Wed,) studied this question.