Unit Code: NUR643

Unit Name: Ethics and Legal Issues in Nursing

Description: This course is designed to provide students with This course is designed to provide students with This course will address Ethics and legal issues in nursing. Ethics with standards of conduct and moral judgment. Healthcare ethics pertain to how professionals fulfil their responsibilities and provide care to clients. It also serves as a basis for interpreting and analyzing clinical situations in decision making. Ethical decision making theories are introduced and discussed using local scenarios and contexts. Nurses have a responsibility to understand the legal basis of nursing practice. The relationship of law and the legality of nursing practice within its context are discussed. Such contexts of practice include the geo physical, socio, political, economic and legal framework which govern and influence nursing practice.

Learning Target Outcomes: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Explain the ethical principles and theories to nursing practice. 2. Explain the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct and relate to Nursing Practice. 3. Discuss the concept and the different types of Law. 4. Explain the relationship of Law and the legality of the healthcare system. 5. Explain the specific factors of Law relevant to Nursing. 6. Describe duty, rights, responsibility, accountability of nurses’ legal; roles to consent, Dangerous Drugs and Documentation. 7. Discuss the legality and the roles of Nursing in Controlled Substance, Death, No Code order and Dying. 8. Demonstrate the skill of professional standard relating to Nursing Practice.

Prerequisite: NUR511, NUR521, NUR541, NUR542, NUR512, NUR552, NUR543 & NUR544

Prerequisite Sentence: N/A

Credit Point: 15

Offered In: Semester 1