Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
Nil
Teaching organisation
150 hours of focused learningUnit rationale, description and aim
Healthcare as practice has as its fundamental aim the goals of health and healing, which in turn enable human beings to realise overall wellbeing and fulfilment. Healthcare professionals are engaged in a technical and moral enterprise that seeks to promote human health, to create a more humane healthcare system, and to enable the flourishing of the communities in which they work.
In this unit, students will build upon their understanding of the notions of human dignity, the common good, and ethical integrity, and develop an understanding of ethical thought and principles for healthcare practice including just provision of healthcare, refraining from harm, and protecting the vulnerable. Students will develop an understanding of the virtues or personal qualities required of healthcare professionals working in contemporary healthcare contexts.
To support students in this endeavour, they will engage with interactive online activities and participate in discussions and debate on topics of ethical significance, in a facilitated peer environment. In doing so, students will gain an understanding of the sources of ethical disagreement that characterise the contemporary liberal, multi-cultural and morally pluralistic societies in which they will practice professionally. These activities will build their skill in practising with ethical responsibility, navigating ethical challenges, and making sound ethical decisions.
The aim of this unit is to enable development of the ethical skills needed to navigate the healthcare environment and ensure high standards of ethical conduct in students’ future practice.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Explore key ethical values, aims, or commitments and how these promote health and human value | GC1, GC3, GC6 |
| LO2 | Consider sources of ethical dilemmas in healthcare practice and formulate responses to these | GC2, GC7, GC8 |
| LO3 | Discuss and critique key sources of ethical disagreement in a morally pluralistic and culturally diverse society | GC2, GC7, GC8 |
NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s Registered Nurse Standards for Practice developed in this unit are:
| Standard/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice 1.2; 1.5 | LO1 LO2 LO3 |
Engages in professional relationships and respectful relationships 2.5 | LO1 LO2 LO3 |
Demonstrates the capability and accountability for nursing practice 3.2; 3.6 | LO1 LO2 LO3 |
NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s Midwife Standards for Practice developed in this unit are:
| Standards/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
Engages in professional relationships and respectful partnerships 2.3 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Demonstrates the capability and accountability for midwifery practice 3.2; 3.6 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Paramedicine Board of Australia Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics
The Paramedicine Board of Australia is responsible for assessing, consulting on and setting the standards for paramedics practicing in Australia. These standards and relevant domains are articulated in the Professional Capabilities for a Registered Paramedic document. The learning outcomes of this unit are matched to the relevant capabilities, in order to align students’ development with the requirements of a paramedic.
| Standards/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
Domain 1: The professional and ethical practitioner 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Domain 2: The communicator and collaborator 2.1, 2.2 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Domain 3: The evidence-based practitioner 3.1 | LO2 |
Domain 4: The safety and risk management practitioner 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 4.7 | LO1, LO2 |
Domain 5: The paramedicine practitioner 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.6 | LO2 |
Content
Module 1. Bioethics and health: Health as a ‘human good’
What is health and what is its relation to healthcare?
- Where did healthcare come from?
- Introduction to ethics, ethical thought, and bio-ethical principles.
Some moral principles for healthcare practice:
- Human good and common good
- Do no harm, show compassion, prioritise the greatest need
- Just allocation
- Respect for dignity of every person
Conscience:
- The relationship between ethics and law
- Ethical relativism and pluralism
Module 2. Bioethics and health professionals: Virtues of healthcare practice
Virtues:
- Prudence
- Compassion
- Transparency
- Veracity
- Empathy
- Courage
Autonomy and informed consent:
- Non-maleficence and negligence
- Beneficence and the duty of care
Moral conflict in the workplace:
- Ethical decision-making
Module 3. Bioethics and society: Healthcare contributions to society
Justice:
- The distribution of healthcare resources
- Social justice
- Responsibilities to the environment
Human vulnerability and advocacy:
- Ethical health research
Professional Codes of Ethics/Conduct:
- Professional integrity
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit requires students to undertake 150 hours of focused learning to achieve the unit learning outcomes. It has two delivery patterns: i) a standard full-semester pattern scheduled nationally; and ii) an intensive pattern scheduled off-shore. Learning associated with both full-semester and intensive delivery patterns employs multiple means of access and engagement with scaffolded learning content, including face-to-face teaching activities (tutorials), online activities (lectures, learning modules, and tutorials), assessment items, and self-directed study.
This ethical theory unit connects to discipline theory and professional practice units and enables students to develop skills in ethical practice to inform further learning in subsequent units of study. The unit includes moderate face-to-face teaching hours and an increasing online component of learning to build life-long learning skills (the pattern of these teaching hours will vary between full semester and intensive delivery patterns). Lectures convey content on core ethical principles, while tutorials deliver interactive student driven learning sessions exploring the application of this theory to health care practice, in a collaborative manner. Online materials provide multiple opportunities to engage with the core ethical concepts of the unit as they apply to a diverse range of healthcare areas, in a self-directed and reflective manner.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment items consistent with University assessment requirements and policy will be used to ensure students achieve the unit learning outcomes and attain the graduate attributes.
Students will be required to attempt three assessment tasks in this unit; a written reflection, an oral presentation, and a written essay. The written reflection allows students to explore their individual ethical beliefs on healthcare using a structured reflective framework. The oral presentation provides students the opportunity to demonstrate developing knowledge of ethical theories and bioethical principles as they apply in healthcare. The summative written essay allows students to demonstrate consolidation of knowledge through the contextual application of healthcare ethics to a contemporary healthcare topic.
On campus (in Rome)
A range of assessment items consistent with University assessment requirements and policy will be used to ensure students achieve the unit learning outcomes and attain the graduate attributes.
Students will be required to attempt two assessment tasks in this unit, an oral presentation and a written essay. The oral presentation (in-class group debate) provides students the opportunity to demonstrate developing knowledge of ethical theories and bioethical principles as they apply in healthcare, and collaboratively debate sources of ethical disagreement. The summative written essay allows students to demonstrate consolidation of knowledge through the contextual application of healthcare ethics to a contemporary healthcare topic.
Overview of assessments
Multi-mode
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Written Reflection Written reflection enabling students to explore their individual understanding of ethics in relation to healthcare using a structured reflective framework. | 20% | LO1 |
Assessment Task 2: Oral Assessment (Case Study) Recorded oral presentation of a structured ethical argument allowing students to explore an ethical issue in healthcare practice. | 35% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Assessment Task 3: Written Essay Written essay enabling students to examine ethical perspectives related to a healthcare topic, critically evaluate relevant professional reference materials, and formulate a justified ethical position. | 45% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
On campus (in Rome)
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Oral Assessment In-class group debate requiring structured arguments which open to class discussion at the conclusion of the debate. | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Assessment Task 2: Written Essay Argumentative essay allowing students to demonstrate the application of ethical theories and principles to a healthcare case study. | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Representative texts and references
Aristotle, Ross, W. D., & Brown, L. (2020). The Nicomachean ethics. Oxford University Press. Available at: https://acu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61ACU_INST/13lm7d8/alma991012597728602352
Atkins, K., de Lacey, S., & Britton, B. (2020). Ethics and Law for Australian Nurses (4th ed.). CUP. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108859905
Barrett, D., Ortmann, L., Dawson, A., Saenz, C., Reis, A. & Bolan, G. (2016). Public Health Ethics: Cases Spanning the Globe. Available at: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-23847-0.
Beauchamp, T., & Childress, J. (2019). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Caruso Brown, A. E., Hobart, T. R., & Morrow, C. B. (2019). Bioethics, Public Health, and the Social Sciences for the Medical Professions: An Integrated, Case-Based Approach (1st ed.). Springer International Publishing. Available at: https://acu-edu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/hdp2hg/61ACU_ALMA51173049270002352.
Johnstone, M.J. (2019). Bioethics: A Nursing Perspective (7th ed.). Elsevier Available at: Bioethics: A Nursing Perspective (7th ed.).
Kerridge, I., Lowe, M., & McPhee, J. (2013). Ethics and Law for the Health Professions (4th ed.). The Federation Press.
Mastroianni, A. C., Kahn, J. P., & Kass, N. E. (2019). The Oxford handbook of public health ethics. Oxford University Press. Available at: https://acu-edu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/hdp2hg/61ACU_ALMA51150019160002352.
Morrison, E. & Furlong, B. (Eds.). (2019). Health care ethics: Critical issues for the 21st century (4th ed.). Jones and Bartlett. Available at: https://acu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61ACU_INST/13lm7d8/alma991012855457402352
Richie, C., & Ehrlich, P. R. (2019). Principles of Green Bioethics: Sustainability in Health Care. Michigan State University Press. Available at: https://acu-edu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/hdp2hg/61ACU_ALMA51154037350002352.
Townsend, R. & Luck, M. (2019). Applied Paramedic Law and Ethics: Australia and New Zealand (2nd ed.). Available at: https://acu-edu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/hdp2hg/61ACU_ALMA51164583050002352.