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  2. Law and Ethics in Health [NCS3203]

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Nursing and Midwifery

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Law and Ethics in Health

  • Unit Code

    NCS3203

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    3

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

Description

The aim of the unit is to provide students with an understanding of ethics and law related to practice within a healthcare setting. This unit examines issues which may generate ethical and legal challenges for health care professionals and provide the tools to discuss and debate these challenging issues. The content will include an examination of current Australian law pertaining to healthcare as well as ethical theories, principles and doctrines that aid in decision making processes.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Lectures, tutorials and online quizzes

Prerequisite Rule

(Students must pass 1 units from NCS1102, RPS1100 AND Students must pass 2 units from NCS1101, NCS1202)

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded NMI2201, NNI2202, NNI2203, NNI2204

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse and communicate the influence of personal and professional ethics on planning, organising, problem solving, and decision making in the health care setting.
  2. Analyse ethical issues and apply ethical theories, principles and concepts to health care across the lifespan and cross-cultural perspectives.
  3. Consider conditions in health care which impede ethically sensitive practice.
  4. Differentiate between the differences and similarities of common and statute law as they relate to the provision of health care.
  5. Relate health professionals' responsibilities to such matters as negligence and consent.

Unit Content

  1. Ethical theories, models, principles and codes as frameworks to assist in the assessment and resolution of professional ethical dilemmas across the lifespan and cross-cultural perspectives.
  2. Implications of tort law including negligence, vicarious liability, consent and assault/battery for health professionals.
  3. Introduction to the concept of law.
  4. Professional practice and ethical action: balancing philosophical, legal, professional, societal, personal, material, financial and institutional considerations.
  5. Values and ethical decision making process.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, tutorials and e-learning.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestOnline weekly tests30%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination70%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
TestOnline weekly tests30%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination70%

Text References

  • ^ Kerridge, I., Lowe, M., & Stewart, C. (2013). Ethics and law for healthcare professionals. Sydney: Federation Press.
  • Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2001). Principles of biomedical ethics (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Mappes, T. (2006). Biomedical ethics (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
  • McCloskey, J., & Grace, H. (Eds.). (2001). Current issues in nursing (6th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
  • Savage, P. (2007). Legal issues for nursing students; Applied principles. NSW: Prentice Hall.
  • Staunton, P., & Chiarella, M. (2004). Nursing and the law (5th ed.). Marrickville, NSW: Elsevier.
  • Thompson, I., Melia, K., & Boyd, K. (2006). Nursing ethics (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
  • DeWolf Bosek, M., & Savage T. (2007). The ethical component of nursing education; Integrating ethics into clinical experience. Sydney: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.

Journal References

  • Australian Law Journal
  • Hastings Centre Report
  • Journal of Clinical Ethics
  • Journal of Law and Medicine
  • Journal of Medical Ethics
  • Journal of Midwifery
  • Journal of Professional Nursing
  • Monash Bioethics Review

Website References

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

NCS3203|3|1

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Nursing and Midwifery

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Law and Ethics in Health

  • Unit Code

    NCS3203

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    3

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

Description

The aim of the unit is to provide students with an understanding of ethics and law related to practice within a healthcare setting. This unit examines issues which may generate ethical and legal challenges for health care professionals and provide the tools to discuss and debate these challenging issues. The content will include an examination of current Australian law pertaining to healthcare as well as ethical theories, principles and doctrines that aid in decision making processes.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Lectures, tutorials and online quizzes

Prerequisite Rule

(Students must pass 1 units from NCS1102, RPS1100 AND Students must pass 2 units from NCS1101, NCS1202)

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded NMI2201, NNI2202, NNI2203, NNI2204

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse and communicate the influence of personal and professional ethics on planning, organising, problem solving, and decision making in the health care setting.
  2. Analyse ethical issues and apply ethical theories, principles and concepts to health care across the lifespan and cross-cultural perspectives.
  3. Consider conditions in health care which impede ethically sensitive practice.
  4. Differentiate between the differences and similarities of common and statute law as they relate to the provision of health care.
  5. Relate health professionals' responsibilities to such matters as negligence and consent.

Unit Content

  1. Ethical theories, models, principles and codes as frameworks to assist in the assessment and resolution of professional ethical dilemmas across the lifespan and cross-cultural perspectives.
  2. Implications of tort law including negligence, vicarious liability, consent and assault/battery for health professionals.
  3. Introduction to the concept of law.
  4. Professional practice and ethical action: balancing philosophical, legal, professional, societal, personal, material, financial and institutional considerations.
  5. Values and ethical decision making process.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, tutorials and e-learning.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestOnline tests30%
Case StudyCase study analysis70%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
TestOnline tests30%
Case StudyCase study analysis70%

Text References

  • Kerridge, I., Lowe, M., & Stewart, C. (2013). Ethics and law for healthcare professionals. Sydney: Federation Press.
  • Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2001). Principles of biomedical ethics (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Atkins, K., de Lacey, S., & Britton, B. (2014) Ethics and law for Australian Nurses (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press

Journal References

  • Journal of Law and Medicine
  • Journal of Clinical Ethics
  • Hastings Centre Report
  • Australian Law Journal
  • Journal of Medical Ethics
  • Journal of Midwifery
  • Monash Bioethics Review
  • Journal of Professional Nursing

Website References

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

NCS3203|3|2