NURS 4350: Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Practice

Course Description

This elective course examines ethical dilemmas in nursing practice. Processes for ethical decision making are explored. Selected situations are used to illustrate the application of ethical concepts to the profession of nursing and to clinical practice. This course is taught in a seminar format and may be taken for 2 or 3 credits.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Define selected terms relevant to ethics.
Discuss ethical decision making models.
Discuss values and values clarification in nursing practice.
Discuss the ANA Code of Ethics.
Identify ethical dilemmas relevant to nursing practice.
Analyze ethical issues in nursing practice.

Course Materials

Please go to MBS Direct to find the appropriate textbooks for this course. Please be aware when purchasing your textbooks that the International versions of the text may differ from the Domestic (North American) version required for your course.

Click here for more information about textbooks for online courses.

Course Activities (2 credit option)

The course will be conducted entirely online. Students are expected to participate in all course activities as assigned by the instructor. Course activities may include readings, presentations, discussions, quizzes, and/or papers. The activities below represent a sampling of potential course activities. However, individual instructors may incorporate other activities such as journals and group work into the course materials.

Discussions:
Students must participate in all online discussions. There are a minimum of 10 required online participation activities; two questions/comments per weekly discussion activity, an icebreaker activity and a summary activity. Specific participation requirements will be provided in your course materials.

Essay:
An informal essay is written. This type of essay is a short composition on a single topic presenting the personal view of the author. It helps to learn who we are and define our values. A good informal essay has a relaxed style but retains a strong structure, though that structure may be less rigid than in a formal paper. The thesis statement should be stated clearly in the introductory paragraph. The Writing Center has many resources to assist with writing. Online Writing Center . The specific requirements of this activity will be presented to you through your course materials.

Presentation:
An ethical dilemma impacting nursing practice is identified. Five or six articles from scholarly nursing journals are reviewed to gather information about the topic. Journals should be within the last 5 years and originate in the United States. Internet sources may be used to supplement the articles. Information from the literature/internet is summarized and presented using PowerPoint. The presentation may be a review of current trends, overview of the topic, or controversy related to an issue. Suggested topics include: stem cells; cloning; use of fetal tissue; euthanasia; transplantation; allocation of health care resources; informed consent; DNR; Advanced Directives; multiple pregnancies; confidentiality. Topics are approved by the instructor and submitted by email the second week of the course. The specific requirements of this activity will be presented to you through your course materials.

Participation:
The instructor reserves the right to drop any student enrolled in the course who fails to participate in class appropriately, e.g., nonparticipation in discussions and/or failure to submit assignments. Specifics participation criteria will be posted in your course materials.

Course Activities (3 credit option)

Students will meet all requirements for 2 credits are met plus an additional project. Several options are possible: (1) written critique on a book, video or television show about an ethical issue; (2) attendance and write up of a lecture or workshop on some aspect of ethics; (3) a literature search (6 articles) on an ethical topic with an APA reference list. Projects must be approved by the instructor and submitted by the third week of the course. Third credit projects are presented in PowerPoint by the Friday before the last week of class.

Policy Statements

The course policies follow Webster University policies including online class policies. Non-participation in online discussions and activities will affect your grade. Remember plagiarism concerns are part of this online course and the University's overall academic dishonesty policies. Plagiarism is use of another's idea, opinion, publications, writings, information in one's own publication without proper credit to the original source of the idea, opinion, writing, or information. Please cite whenever appropriate. (see the Undergraduate College Academic Policies and Procedures)

Academic Honesty:
The university is committed to high standards of academic honesty. Students will be held responsible for violations of these standards. Please refer to the Nursing Department’s Academic Honesty policies for a definition of academic dishonesty and potential disciplinary actions associated with it.

Drops and Withdrawals:
Please be aware that, should you choose to drop or withdraw from this course, the date on which you notify the university of your decision will determine the amount of tuition refund you receive. Students may withdraw from courses up to and including the Friday of the sixth week of an eight-week course and the Friday of the twelfth week of a semester course. To withdraw, a student must complete a withdrawal form, which is signed by the advisor. The symbol for course withdrawal (W) is recorded on the student's transcript. Withdrawals after the above dates may occur only under exceptional circumstances, and the withdrawal form must be approved by the instructor, the advisor, department chair and the director of the Academic Advising Center.

Please refer to the Undergraduate Catalog university policies on drops and withdrawals to find out what the deadlines are for dropping a course with a full refund and for withdrawing from a course with a partial refund.

Special Services:
If you are registered as a student with a documented disability and are entitled to classroom or testing accommodations, it is your responsibility to inform the instructor at the beginning of the course of the accommodations you will require in this class so that these can be provided. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations please contact the Academic Resource Center.

Disturbances:
Every student is entitled to full participation in class without interruption and all students are expected participate in all online course activities. Disruption of the learning process or inconsiderate behavior is not acceptable. Students are expected to treat the instructor and other students with dignity and respect, especially in cases where a diversity of opinion arises. Students who engage in disruptive behavior are subject to disciplinary action, including removal from the course.

Note: This syllabus may be revised at any time at the discretion of the instructor and without prior notification or consent of the student.

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