Students’ Perceptions of Ethics, Morality, and Healing Language in Nursing English Learning

Abstract

Nursing English courses often focus on vocabulary, grammar, and language skills, while the ethical and therapeutic aspects of communication receive less attention. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate nursing students' perceptions of ethics, morality, and healing language in Nursing English learning. This study employed a descriptive quantitative research design. The participants were 50 nursing students who were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 25 Likert-scale items covering ethics, morality, healing language, future nursing practice, and English proficiency. The findings revealed that nursing students had positive perceptions of ethics, morality, and healing language in Nursing English learning. Most respondents agreed that ethical communication, moral values, and healing language are important components of professional nursing communication. The students believed that healing language helps reduce patients' anxiety, provides emotional support, and strengthens therapeutic relationships. The results also showed that students’ associated ethical and healing communication with their future nursing practice, particularly in providing patient-centered care and building trust with patients. Furthermore, the majority of respondents disagreed that English proficiency alone is sufficient for professional nursing communication. They emphasized that empathy, integrity, professionalism, and ethical awareness are equally important for effective communication in healthcare settings. In conclusion, nursing students perceive ethics, morality, and healing language as essential elements of Nursing English learning. Therefore, Nursing English education should integrate language competence with ethical and therapeutic communication skills to prepare students for professional nursing practice in both local and international healthcare environments.