Course Title

Nursing Ethics and Professionalism

Course Number

7227203

Instructor Name

سماح اشتية

Contact Information

[email protected]

Semester(s) and academic year(s)

Second Semester 2
First Semester 1

Compulsory / Elective

Compulsory

Explore values, codes and principles that govern ethical decisions in professional practice within nursing care settings. Case studies of potential and actual ethical issues and dilemmas arising in nursing practice are analyzed using the intellectual standards of critical thinking in a framework of ethical decision-making. The course focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of the nursing profession and the rules and regulations controlling the practice of nursing.  In addition this course provides a study of relationship and responsibilities of professional nursing that emphasis on current issues and professional organizations, as well as the planning and discussing of career development.

Nursing ethics is more about being a good nurse in everyday practice than it is about solving discrete ethical dilemmas as they occur, although logically the former encompasses the latter. Good nursing requires sensitivity to the moral domain of nursing practice. The nature of nursing is essentially normative, whereby nurses attempt to maximize the good (e.g. comfort, dignity, quality of life) and minimize the bad (e.g. pain, suffering) for human beings in situations of health and illness.

Students are provided with an overview of each of different allied health professions, the distinctive role of each of the professions within the health care team, significant aspects of the work of each of the professions, and the skills and competencies required. Autonomy, accountability, commitment, standards entry into, nursing theories and other will be discussed through debates, seminars, panel discussions, and critique papers that will lead to the development of critical thinking and evaluation skills.

The aim of this course:

At the end of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Gain knowledge of the history of the nursing profession, the basis and development of nursing and ethical principles.
2. Identify the role of the nurse as a patient advocate is extremely important to the safety of patients and protection of their right to respect, to informed consent, and to refuse or accept care in accordance with their values.

1. Knowledge and Understanding:

By the end of this course the students will be able to:

a.1. Describe the concepts, principles and theories of ethics and their relationship to clinical practice.

a.2. Describe the tenets of deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics.

a.2. Gain knowledge concerning the code of professional conduct.

a.3. Describe the ethical and legal issues related to Palestinian community.

a.4. Identify options in end-of-life care.

a.4. Explain the resolution of selected ethical dilemmas through the use of models of ethical reasoning and decision making.

a.6. Discuss moral arguments for and against euthanasia and/or assisted suicide.

2. Intellectual skills

By the end of this course the students will be able to:

b.1. Analyze and interpret nursing situations with the aid of concepts within the theory of nursing.

b.2. Analyze the underlying premises and rationales of major comparative ethical theories.

b.3 Examine the interrelationship between ethics and law and the impact of judicial decisions upon health care practices and policies.

b.4 Use problem – solving models.

b.5. Analyze the ethical obligations and duties of health professionals which emanate from the nature of the caregiver-patient relationship.

b.6. Differentiate between forms of euthanasia and suicide.

b.7. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between hospice and palliative care.

3. Professional and practical skills

By the end of this course the students will be able to:

c.1. Apply the principles of ethical decision making in work settings.

c.2. Apply principles of ethical reasoning to the process of resolving ethical dilemmas.

c.3. Carry out code of nursing ethics.

c.4. Build and Encounter the individual with respect for that person’s identity, integrity and autonomy.

4. General and transferable skills

By the end of this course the students will be able to:

d.1. Evaluate the development and career possibilities of the nursing profession against the back ground and the growth of nursing science.

d.2. Stimulate the critical and analytical thinking processes, and utilizes the gained knowledge to face ambiguous situations during the clinical practice.

d.3. Create change and attain goals of nursing ethics with interdisciplinary team members.

d.4. Independently learning

d.5. Select and integrate appropriate research findings in the study of ethical issues related to health care.

• Kjervik, D. and Brous, E. (2010). Law and Ethics for Advanced Practice Nursing. New York. USA.
• EBSCO online at An-Najah website.
• Others website internet.
•  Reviews and articles from the international journals on the web