Learning activities in this course are designed to actively engage students in achieving an understanding of the concepts, theories and skills of applied ethics in nursing practice. Students are provided with opportunities to understand ethical decision-making through debate, discussions, case studies, critical reflection, and critical thinking.
The focus of this course is applied ethics as it relates to nursing practice. An outline of the concepts and essential content is presented below. Additional content may be included, and will vary depending on the experiences, interests and choices of course participants.
Ethical perspectives such as:
- utilitarianism
- Kantian deontology
- moral relativism
- virtue ethics/care ethics
Concepts such as:
- critical thinking
- advocacy
- paternalism
- informed consent
- honesty
- moral distress
Principles such as:
- beneficence/non-maleficence
- justice
- fidelity
- autonomy
Ethical problems in nursing practice (research finding, praxis examples) including
- changing roles of nurses/added responsibilities
- inequities in resource allocation/distributive justice/scarcity of resources
- moral distress of nurses
- team conflict and values based conflict resolution
- informed consent
- prolongation of life and euthanasia
Decision-Making Models which:
- empower individuals and families
- adhere to fundamental principles
- include relational (fidelity) and contextual (care) elements
- respect autonomy
- attend to cultural issues
- attend to team and family input
- attend to professional codes and standards of conduct
In this course students have opportunities to:
- develop a heightened awareness of the predominance of ethics in their professional and personal lives
- examine various ethical theories, concepts and principles
- appreciate the rich complexity of moral reasoning and ethical decision-making
- develop strategies for ethical decision-making
- apply ethical decision-making model(s) to ethical problems in nursing practice
Course evaluation is consistent with Douglas College Curriculum Development and Approval Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. There will be a minimum of three assessments which will typically include exams, quizzes, papers and/or presentations. Respect for individual choice and an openness to negotiate will guide decisions about methods of evaluation.
This is a graded course.
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students [and other Learning Resources]
- Praxis Experience
- personal experience with ethical decision-making
- nursing practice experience/reflection
- Textbooks and Materials to be purchased by Students
- A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.
- Other Resources
- selected readings
- selected audio-visual and computer resources
NURS 2130 (or professional equivalency)
Students in the BSN program are required to maintain a passing grade of C in all courses in order to progress in the program.
NURS 3100 (recommended)