Run by School of Health Sciences

20 Credits or 10 ECTS Credits

Semester 1 & 2

Organiser: Dr Elizabeth Mason

The module is designed to develop the student’s knowledge of the legal and ethical requirements of professional nursing practice that underpin the provision of health care. This knowledge is essential to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards for Pre-registration Education (2010) and for the development of critical thinking and decision-making skills. The module will provide a critical examination of issues specifically relating to professional responsibilities, accountability, and clients’ rights in the healthcare setting.

Module content will include the following: Introduction to ethical theories; e.g. deontology, utilitarianism and the principled approach. Ethical decision making including contextual factors affecting decision making Introduction to sources of law and legislation Legal accountability and professional standards Confidentiality Law and consent Capacity and best interest decision making / advocacy / Gillick competence Deprivation of liberty (DoLS)/ Bournewood principles
Safeguarding to include POVA, child protection and domestic violence and legal / professional responsibilities Truth telling / veracity End of life decision making /withdrawing/withholding/futility/ euthanasia Theories and skills of reflective practice. Additional content to be included to reflect current issues and those identified during clinical placements.

excellent

A- A – to A* Grade: To achieve an ‘excellent pass’ on the module, students will be required to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and critical evaluation of the underlying principles of reflective practice and the professional, legal and ethical requirements of clinical practice.

threshold

C- to C+ Grade: To achieve a ‘pass’ on the module, students will be required to demonstrate good understanding and some critical evaluation of the underlying principles of reflective practice and the professional, legal and ethical requirements of clinical practice.

good

B- to B+ Grade: To achieve a ‘good pass’ the student will be required to demonstrate sound knowledge and critical evaluation of the underlying principles of reflective practice and the professional, legal and ethical requirements of clinical practice.

1. Critically analyse moral theories and their relevance to clinical decision making practice.

2. Appraise the requirements of professional codes of conduct and their application to nursing practice.

3. Critically evaluate and utilise theories of reflection to appraise how reflective practice contributes to professional development, the attainment of theoretical knowledge, and the development of values and qualities to understand the lived experience of patients and service users.

4. Critically evaluate the development of legal and ethical principles related to health care through the legal system of England and in Wales and their relevance to clinical decision making.

5. Critically review the legal and ethical rights of patients within the health care system and their impact on clinical decision making.

Type	Name	Description	Weight
ESSAY	Critique of legal and ethical concept	The student will complete a critical evaluation of the literature relating to a legal/ethical issue identified from practice placement learning.	100

		Hours
Lecture	Lead lectures 10x 2 hour lectures.	20
Seminar	Seminar activity 5 x 1 hour presentations of EBL group work activity.	5
One-to-one supervision	Assignment tutorials 3 x 1 hour tutorials	3
Workshop	Assignment workshop - 1 x 2 hour workshop	2
Group Project	EBL activity 20 hours preparation time.	20
Individual Project	Directed study to complete law and ethics workbook	40
Study group	Blackboard discussion board activity - 10 x 30 minute sessions	5
Private study	105 hours for private study time for reading, assignment preparation and completion.	105

• Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
• Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
• Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
• Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
• Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
• Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
• Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
• Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
• Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
• Mentoring - Able to support, help, guide, inspire and/or coach others
• Caring - Showing concern for others; caring for children, people with disabilities and/or the elderly
• Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
• Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others

Resource implications for students

1. Purchase of text books, pens and paper. 2. Photocopying and printing 3. Subscription to internet provider to access BU on-line catalogues and Blackboard from home residence.

Reading list

Avery, G. (2017). Law and Ethics in Nursing and Healthcare 2nd Ed. London: Sage Publications.

Beauchamp T.L., Childress J.F. (2013). Principles of Biomedical Ethics7th Edn. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

Carr, C. (2012). Unlocking Medical Law. Oxford: Routledge.

Edwards, S. D., (2009). Nursing Ethics: A Principled Based Approach 2nd Ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Fry, S.T., & Johnstone, M.J., (2003). Ethics in Nursing Practice: A Guide to Ethical Decision Making 2nd Ed. Oxford: Blackwell Science.

Herring, J. (2016). Medical Law and Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jackson, E. (2016) Medical Law Text, Cases and Materials 4th Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Kennedy I, Gubb A (2010) Medical Law Text & Material 3rd ed. London: Butterworth.

Mason, J.K. McCall Smith, R.A., Laurie, G. T. (2016). Law and Medical Ethics 7th Ed. London: Butterworths.

Murphy, R. & Wales, P. (2013). Mental Health Law in Nursing. London: Sage Publications.

Smith, S.W. , Coggon, J. Clark, H. Huxtable, R. McGuinness, S. Miola, J. Mary Neal, M. (2017). Ethical Judgements: Rewriting Medical Law. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Other reading material such as articles, case summaries and judgments will be provided via links on Blackboard.