Intro to Healthcare Ethics

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will introduce students to foundational theories and principles of healthcare ethics. Students will become familiar with the major ethical issues facing individuals, organizations and society within the complexity of healthcare. Social and legal history surrounding healthcare ethics will be explored. The inter-professional relationships with patients will be examined in the context of ethical challenges. Ethical decision-making frameworks and professional standards will be applied in a case study format. Specific topics include privacy, truth telling, decisional capacity, beginning of life, biotechnology, allocation of scarce resources, end of life, public health and organizational ethics. Through reflection, students will embrace moral responsiveness and cultural awareness with effect on local and global health. The core values of the School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS) including human flourishing, common good, social justice, professional care, compassion, and individual-collective excellence will be considered throughout the course. Overall, the course will assist the student to synthesize knowledge and skills that support ethical decision-making in the health care environment ranging from clinical care sites to public policy.