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  2. Legal and Ethical Requirements in Nursing and Midwifery Practice [NUM1205]

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

    Legal and Ethical Requirements in Nursing and Midwifery Practice

  • Unit Code

    NUM1205

  • Year

    2019

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Melanie BAKER

Description

The aim of the unit is to provide students with an understanding of ethics and law related to nursing and midwifery practice. Students will examine issues that may generate ethical and legal challenges for health care professionals and develop the knowledge and skills to discuss and debate these challenging issues. The content will include an examination of current Australian law pertaining to health care as well as ethical theories, principles and doctrines that aid in decision-making processes.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass two units from NUR1101 or NCS1101 and NUM1102 or NCS1102

Only students studying courses C33, Y61 or Y76 can enrol in this unit.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded NCS3203

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Explain common law and statute law pertinent to nursing and midwifery practice in Australia.
  2. Explain why the study of health law and ethics is an essential aspect of professional practice.
  3. Reflect on the legal and ethical implications of actions taken in professional practice.
  4. Identify strategies, which may assist in resolving legal and ethical issues that arise in clinical practice.
  5. Discuss the significant legal and ethical requirements relating to the registration of health care professionals.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to law and ethics.
  2. Legal aspects of the use of social media.
  3. Ethical theories and principles.
  4. Legal regulation related to the practice of nursing and midwifery: including the Poisons Act, Nurses Act, NMBA Legal and ethical requirements relating to registration.
  5. Duty of care, negligence (including veracity and truth telling), malpractice, professional misconduct and consequences.
  6. Documentation, legal requirements and mandatory reporting.
  7. Informed consent (including capacity).
  8. Coronial processes, vicarious liability, and tribunals.
  9. Ethics and law controversies.
  10. Advanced Health Directives and other end of life issues.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not OfferedNot Offered13 x 2 hour lab
Semester 213 x 2 hour lectureNot Offered13 x 1 hour lecture
Semester 213 x 2 hour tutorialNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Interactive learning activities (18 hours), tutorials (18 hours), online materials

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 quiz10%
EssayCase studies40%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
TestOnline quiz10%
EssayCase studies40%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%

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.

NUM1205|1|1

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

    Legal and Ethical Requirements in Nursing and Midwifery Practice

  • Unit Code

    NUM1205

  • Year

    2019

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Melanie BAKER

Description

The aim of the unit is to provide students with an understanding of ethics and law related to nursing and midwifery practice. Students will examine issues that may generate ethical and legal challenges for health care professionals and develop the knowledge and skills to discuss and debate these challenging issues. The content will include an examination of current Australian law pertaining to health care as well as ethical theories, principles and doctrines that aid in decision-making processes.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass two units from NUR1101 or NCS1101 and NUM1102 or NCS1102

Only students studying courses C33, Y61 or Y76 can enrol in this unit.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded NCS3203

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Explain common law and statute law pertinent to nursing and midwifery practice in Australia.
  2. Explain why the study of health law and ethics is an essential aspect of professional practice.
  3. Reflect on the legal and ethical implications of actions taken in professional practice.
  4. Identify strategies, which may assist in resolving legal and ethical issues that arise in clinical practice.
  5. Discuss the significant legal and ethical requirements relating to the registration of health care professionals.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to law and ethics.
  2. Legal aspects of the use of social media.
  3. Ethical theories and principles.
  4. Legal regulation related to the practice of nursing and midwifery: including the Poisons Act, Nurses Act, NMBA Legal and ethical requirements relating to registration.
  5. Duty of care, negligence (including veracity and truth telling), malpractice, professional misconduct and consequences.
  6. Documentation, legal requirements and mandatory reporting.
  7. Informed consent (including capacity).
  8. Coronial processes, vicarious liability, and tribunals.
  9. Ethics and law controversies.
  10. Advanced Health Directives and other end of life issues.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not OfferedNot Offered13 x 2 hour lab
Semester 213 x 2 hour lectureNot Offered13 x 1 hour lecture
Semester 213 x 2 hour tutorialNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Interactive learning activities (18 hours), tutorials (18 hours), online materials

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 quiz10%
EssayCase studies40%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
TestOnline quiz10%
EssayCase studies40%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%

Core Reading(s)

  • Johnstone, M. J. (2016). Bioethics : a nursing perspective (6th ed., pp. xix, 434). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/908193351?databaseList=638
  • Atkins, Kim., Lacey, S. de., Ripperger, Rebecca., & Britton, Bonnie. (2017). Ethics and law for Australian nurses (3rd ed.). Port Melbourne, Vic: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/971612471
  • Patricia J. Staunton, M. C. (2017). Law for nurses and midwives (pp. xiii, 377). Chatswood, N.S.W. : Elsevier. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/947838588

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.

NUM1205|1|2