Unit outline
Page 1 of 14 Version:
FACULTY OF Health Sciences
School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine
National Unit Outline
SEMESTER 1
HLSC220: Health Care Ethics
UNIT OUTLINE
Credit points: 10
Prerequisites / incompatibles: Nil
National Team Leader: Dr Helen McCabe (North Sydney)
UNIT RATIONALE, DESCRIPTION and AIM:
To function effectively as a health care professional a sound understanding of the ethical and
professional standards which order health care practice is required. When people access health care
they are frequently at their most vulnerable. To advocate and care for people with a health alteration it is
essential that all health care professionals understand the ethics which govern practice. This unit assists
students in meeting the ethical requirements of professional health care practice and will inform aspects
of future care and care related decisions they will provide as health professionals.
.
North Sydney Teaching team:
Dr Helen McCabe (NTL & LIC), North Sydney campus
Email: XXXXXXXXXX
Tel: XXXXXXXXXX
Ms Jasmin Douglas
Email: XXXXXXXXXX
Mr Joseph Angert-Quilter
Email: XXXXXXXXXX
Ms Irene Mayo
Email: XXXXXXXXXX
Dr Paris Mawby
Email: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
Page 2 of 14 Version:
Mode:
On Campus
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 7: face to face resource/ lecture session (1 hour per week)
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 6 & 7: tutorial (2 hours per week); and
Online
e-Learning modules are available on the LEO unit site. The weekly lecture/ resource session
will be recorded and uploaded at the end of each week for revision/ information purposes
Attendance pattern:
Weekly face-to-face resource/ lecture sessions (one hou
week) and tutorial sessions (two
hours/ week) are informed by online modules and readings (see unit LEO site)
Duration: This course is delivered over a 6 week time frame. You should anticipate undertaking 150
hours of study for this unit, including class attendance, unit readings and class preparation, and
assignment preparation.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The HLSC 220 course is a professional program that requires development of particular attributes
for accreditation purposes. These are also included in the learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. demonstrate understanding of the ethical values, codes, principles and historical commitments
which inform professional health care practice; (GA1, 2)
2. explain the sources of ethical disagreement in a morally pluralistic and culturally diverse society;
(GA1, 2, 3, 4)
3. discuss the ethical standards that guide the professional‐patient relationship, including codes of
professional conduct, the duty of care, the notion of negligence, advocacy, consent and its limits,
emergency responses, confidentiality and privacy; (GA1, 3, 5)
4. demonstrate understanding of the ethical requirements of conducting medical and health care
esearch. (GA1, 2, 3)
GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
Each unit in your course contributes in some way to the development of the ACU Graduate
Attributes which you should demonstrate by the time you complete your course. All Australian
universities have their expected graduate attributes – ACU’s Graduate Attributes have a greater
emphasis on ethical behaviour and community responsibility than those of many other universities.
All of your units will enable you to develop some attributes.
On successful completion of this unit, you should have developed your ability to:
GA1 demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
https:
www.studentportal.acu.edu.au/ACUInfo/cau/graduate-attributes
https:
www.studentportal.acu.edu.au/ACUInfo/cau/graduate-attributes
https:
www.studentportal.acu.edu.au/ACUInfo/cau/graduate-attributes
Page 3 of 14 Version:
GA2 recognise your responsibility to the common good, the environment and society
GA3 apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making
GA4 think critically and reflectively
GA5 demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or
profession
INHERENT REQUIREMENTS
To support your progression in this unit, students are directed to access the course inherent
equirements, on the link below, to understand the essential aspects of their course. If you require
assistance to enable you to achieve the knowledge, skills and attitudes outlined in the inherent
equirements, please speak with your academic and or a disability advisor for support.
www.acu.edu.au/inherent-requirements
CONTENT
Topics will include:
Where do our ethical ideas come from? – Moral development across the lifespan
Significant philosophical approaches to moral reasoning
Philosophical and secular notions of personhood
Ethical Principles of Health Care
Respect for human dignity
Respect for human rights
Respect for patient autonomy
Beneficence and the duty of care
Non‐maleficence and negligence
Justice and the distribution of health care resources
Truth‐telling
An introduction to ethical foundations
Understanding ethical disagreement: individual and culturally defined values and beliefs
The Virtues and the health care professions
Conscientious objection and whistle‐blowing
Human vulnerability and advocacy
Responsibilities to the environment
Health Care Professionalism
The health professional as moral agent
Codes of Ethics and Codes of Professional Conduct
Standards of care
Professional misconduct
Justice understood as fairness and business ethics
Research Ethics
http:
www.acu.edu.au/inherent-requirements%20%0d
Page 4 of 14 Version:
International human rights conventions and principles governing research conducted upon
human subjects
National and local Human Research Ethics Committees
The notion of harm in research activities
Ethical practice
Ethical considerations when engaging with communities
ACU Community Engagement principles and values
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND STUDENT FEEDBACK
This unit has been evaluated through the ‘Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching’ (SELT)
online surveys.
This unit has been re-developed to accommodate changes to professional cu
icula, as well as in
esponse to student and teaching staff feedback. In particular,
more hours are provided for face-to-face teaching - from one hour per week to three hours
per week (1 X 1-hour resource session plus 1 X 2-hour tutorial session);
the number of assessments has been reduced from three to two,
all online e-Modules have been, for the most part, re-written or significantly revised, and
all on-line resources have been updated
SELT surveys are usually conducted at the end of the teaching period. Your practical and
constructive feedback is valuable to improve the quality of the unit. Please ensure you complete the
SELT survey for the unit. You can also provide feedback at other times to the unit lecturers, course
coordinators and/or through student representatives.
LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGY AND RATIONALE
Learning associated with this unit incorporates face‐to‐face teaching activities (lectures and tutorials),
online activities, preparation and generation of assessment items, and self‐directed study. Class
activities are informed by the content in the weekly online modules. Students are expected to have
completed each module relevant to the weekly class prior to class attendance.
Importantly, this course is delivered in a semi-intensive mode over a six-week period. Students are
expected to keep up-to-date, to take responsibility for their individual learning, and to participate actively
within group activities.
The semi-intensive mode allows students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the course content in
order to foster ideal learning conditions and opportunities.
LECTURE CAPTURE
One of the resource sessions/ lectures delivered each week will be uploaded on to the unit LEO site at
the end of each week. Availability of lecture capture enables students an opportunity to revise the unit
material; however, it does not serve as a substitute to actual lecture attendance. As well, some tiles will
contain online mini-lectures aimed to assist students in explaining the week’s learning content.
Page 5 of 14 Version:
SCHEDULE
For the most up-to-date information, please check your LEO unit and also note advice from your
lecturing and tutoring staff for changes to this schedule.
Week Starting Weekly Topics Class Preparation &
Tutorial Activities
1 26/2/28 Introduction to Unit
Ethical Traditions of Health Care Professionals
Understanding Human Dignity
Understanding Ethics
Caring Co
upted video
Work through Module 1
Formation of debate
groups
2 5/3/18 Health Care Professionalism
Codes of Ethics/ Professional Conduct
Professional Standards
The Role of Professional Tribunals
Work through Module 2
3 12/3/18 The Principles of Health Care Ethics:
Beneficence & the duty of care
Non-maleficence & negligence
Respect for Patient Autonomy (RPA) & consent
Justice in the distribution of health care
esources
Public Health Ethics
Work through Modules 3
and 4
Online formative quiz:
open from Friday 16/3/18
until the end of the
semester
4 19/3/18 Resource Sessions only. No tutorials Q & A in Weekly
Resource Session
5 26/3/18 No Classes No Classes
2/4/18 University Common Vacation Week No Classes
6 9/4/18 Beginning and End-of-Life Issues, Professional
Standards
Debate Topic 1: Governments should introduce a tax
on sugar content in food
Debate Topic 2: Health care professionals found guilty
of professional misconduct should be de-registered for
life
In-class Debate
Assessments
7 16/4/18 Ethical Issues in:
Caring for the Chronically Ill,
Public Health/ Community
Conducting Research
In-class Debate
Assessments
Page 6 of 14 Version:
Debate Topic 3: Women who are substance
dependent should be held in custody when pregnant
Debate Topic 4: There is no ethical difference between
withdrawing medical treatment and euthanasia
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. A
formative online quiz for this unit will also be made available to students from the end of week 3 of
semester to provide feedback on their own progress and guide their unit learning. The formative quiz
follows the same format as the online quizzes used in first year. First year quizzes were summative;
second year quizzes are formative and will not contribute to the final unit grade.
Students will be required to provide two (2) summative assessments: an in-class oral
presentation (debate) and a written assignment (essay). The in-class debate provides an opportunity
for immediate feedback to assist the student in evaluating their progress against the unit learning
outcomes. The written assignment (1500 word essay) will allow students to prepare their submission
progressively and plan a considered assessment item. The oral debate will assist the students