MASYK4500 Clinical Ethics Course description

The course is a specialisation in different ethical theories and schools of thought. This includes seeing the relationship to the ethical paradigm of nursing. The course provides in-depth knowledge of ethical argumentation and decision theory in the context of relevant ethical issues.

Admission to the programme or to the individual course.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• advanced knowledge of the ethos and ethics of nursing in relation to clinical nursing, including knowledge of clinical implications of different ethical schools of thought and the use of clinical discretion and judgement
• in-depth knowledge of ethical argumentation and decision theory in clinical practice, including knowledge of ethics-related care dilemmas linked to power, humiliation, dignity, autonomy, empowerment, power of definition and theories/work methods used by clinical ethics committees
• in-depth knowledge of ethical dilemmas at the intersection between individuals and society, including knowledge of the relationship between technology and ethics, and between public health initiatives and individual liberty, and awareness in relation to the nurse's professional and moral responsibility for individuals and groups at risk of marginalisation

Skills

The student is capable of

• using ethical argumentation, inclusive ethical decision-making theory, and independently analysing ethical issues
• using relevant research to support ethical argumentation
• communicating and arguing in favour of their own ethical point of view in relation to nursing science

Competence

The student is capable of

• disseminating extensive independent work on ethical issues arising in their clinical practice
• communicating about ethical issues on this topic with both specialists and the general public

Lectures, group work, role play, exercises and self-study.

The following must have been approved in order for a student to be permitted to take the exam:

• Assignment: Clinical ethics: Written assignment in groups of 3-4 students. Scope: 1,500 words (+/- 10%). Oral presentation of the assignment to fellow students and lecturer(s). Oral feedback from fellow students. Oral feedback from lecturer(s).
• Documentation of literature selected by the student: 350 pages

Individual home exam over three days. Scope: 2,500 words (+/- 10%)

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

All answer papers are assessed by two examiners. An external examiner will grade 20% of the exam papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the rest of the papers together with another internal examiner. The external examiner's assessment shall benefit all the students.