EthCo Partner meeting and dissemination event in Riga
On my desk there are notes; serving as a reminder of the EthCo team meeting held in Riga, Latvia. We are a team that recognises the individual significance and capability of each member to collectively contribute to a positive environment. The EthCO team seeks to support healthcare professionals in developing strong ethical values and also to help orient healthcare professional actions with the values we have adopted. We are working together to enhance ethical perspectives in the clinical working environment, starting from nursing and physiotherapy students and professionals.
The EthCo team is attempting to create educational materials that can support good moral conduct, based on sound ethical principles, that will guide healthcare professionals’ ethical decision-making and behavior. Our aim is to provide optimal care the every patient, emphasising a socially responsible, ethical, and respectful attitude towards patients, relatives, colleagues, and resources.
The educational tool being developed by EthCo is attempting to incorporate new technologies with ethics education. This tool is hoped to support ethical decision-making in healthcare practice. We were enthusiastic about developing a learning platform where ethics lectures and education is not considered as lacking context, tedious or too complex to understand. The EthCo tool will support peer-learning through discussion and open-minded debates. Our excellence is based on professional competence and on skills which are recognised, valued, and strengthened.
During the 3 days in Latvia, the EthCo team hosted a hybrid seminar with expert-led events, collaborative knowledge exchange and discussions related to healthcare ethics. During the meetings and workshops, we strengthened our bonds, developed strategies for our future objectives, and connected with fellow professionals who share our passion for ethics.
Our team has been working for more than 1 year and together we will achieve our goals:
- Strengthen ethical competence
- Create educational coaching materials
- Foster Ethical Coffee Room discussions
- Develop interdisciplinary ethics simulations
Each of our team members establishes their individual contributions to the project, yet the overall objectives of the project are identical and these are communicated during the project meetings and workshops. It appears that we are an effective team that is genuinely committed to leveraging all our resources and talents to achieve the project goals with a high standard of quality.
In addition, every EthCo team member works with his/her knowledge and responsibility for the quality of the overall performance and is willing to take the time to support teammates and share useful information.
Our team has different worldviews and beliefs, but I think that there is strength in mutual respect and the ability to accept our differences and to see and appreciate a colleague’s talent. We all know our responsibility to achieve the EthCo project’s goals.
It is our Team after 3 days of active workshopping, we are smiling and full of joy and happiness. 😊
Author:
Agita Melbarde-Kelmere, Riga Stradinš University