Using structured controversy to promote ethical decision making.

This article describes the use of structured controversy as an educational strategy for helping students learn content and skills needed for dealing with difficult ethical situations that arise during the practice of nursing. Structured controversy, an innovative technique that encourages learners to deal with conflict constructively, is described, and research validating its benefits is reviewed. A comprehensive description of how structured controversy was operationalized, using the issue of whether or not to give nutrition and hydration to a dying patient, is included to provide other nursing educators with an illustration of how this strategy can be applied.