Skip to main content
NounStudy
Back to Course Catalog
NSC310Health Sciences3 Unitsintermediate

Nursing Ethics and Jurisprudence

This course provides an understanding of moral issues forming the basis of professional ethics in nursing and medical practice. It introduces students to statutory and common laws affecting nursing, including legal implications of contractual responsibilities. Topics include ethical theories, patient rights, legal liabilities, abortion, euthanasia, and decision-making models. The course aims to equip students with the knowledge to navigate ethical dilemmas and legal complexities in nursing practice.

Generate AI Study Notes

Transform this course into personalized study materials with AI

208h
Study Time
13
Weeks
16h
Per Week
none
Math Level
Course Keywords
Nursing EthicsJurisprudenceMedical LawPatient RightsLegal Liability

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
📚
Math Level
No Math
📖
Learning Type
Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Ethical Theories

2

Legal Concepts

3

Patient Rights

4

Legal Liabilities

5

Abortion

6

Euthanasia

7

Ethical Decision Making

Total Topics7 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

tutor-marked assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

final examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Registered Nurse

Apply your skills in this growing field

Nurse Manager

Apply your skills in this growing field

Legal Nurse Consultant

Apply your skills in this growing field

Healthcare Administrator

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

HospitalsClinicsLong-Term Care FacilitiesLegal and Ethical Consulting

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: Ethical Concepts and Regulations that Govern Nursing Practice

6h

Unit 1: Value Clarification

3 study hours
  • •Define value, differentiate between types of value, and understand the development of values.
  • •Identify essential nursing values and their impact on professional behavior.
  • •Explore the process of clarifying nurses' and clients' values.

Unit 2: Morality

3 study hours
  • •Define morality and differentiate it from law.
  • •Describe the processes of moral development according to Kohlberg and Gilligan.
  • •Compare different moral frameworks and explain moral principles.
Week
2

Module 1: Ethical Concepts and Regulations that Govern Nursing Practice

6h

Unit 3: Ethics of Nursing

3 study hours
  • •Explain the concept of ethics and its relation to nursing practice.
  • •Distinguish between ethics and law.
  • •Outline the purposes of professional codes of ethics and the nursing code of ethics.

Unit 4: Regulation of Nursing Practice

3 study hours
  • •Explain the issues in credentialing, including certification, registration, licensure, and accreditation.
  • •Describe standards of practice and professional performance.
  • •Discuss the role of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Week
3

Module 2: Legal Concepts Relevant to Nursing and Nurses' Roles

6h

Unit 1: Basic Legal Concepts

3 study hours
  • •Define law and explain its functions in nursing.
  • •Explain the sources and types of law.
  • •Understand the principles of law and the civil judicial process.

Unit 2: Rights and Responsibilities in Client Care

3 study hours
  • •Explain the concept of rights and responsibilities in client care.
  • •Outline the rights of clients in healthcare.
  • •Show how the client's bill of rights is applied in nursing care.
Week
4

Module 2: Legal Concepts Relevant to Nursing and Nurses' Roles

6h

Unit 3: The Legal Roles of the Nurse

3 study hours
  • •Explain the rights and responsibilities of the nurse as a citizen.
  • •Discuss the rights and responsibilities of the nurse as an employee or contractor.
  • •Explain the legal responsibilities of students.

Unit 4: Obtaining Informed Consent

3 study hours
  • •Explain the concept of consent and its exceptions.
  • •Outline the nurse's responsibilities in obtaining consent.
  • •Describe the stages of ongoing consent to care.
  • •Identify problems in obtaining consent and strategies to resolve them.
Week
5

Module 3: Citizens' Right to Health and Ethics and Morality applied to Nursing Practice

8h

Unit 1: Health as a citizens/patient's inalienable rights (whether health care delivery is a right?)

4 study hours
  • •Discuss health as a citizen's/patient's inalienable right.
  • •Explain the nature of moral problems.
  • •Discuss ethical theories and principles applied to nursing practice.

Unit 2: Morality helps us to clearly defined standards of adjudging certain behaviours, actions, and attitudes as good or wrong with clearly set guidelines for consequences.

4 study hours
  • •Discuss different types of morality and how morality is developed.
  • •Apply legal principles in routine nursing practice.
  • •Discuss the ethical theories and principles applied to the practice of nursing and the principles approach to ethics.
Week
6

Module 3: Citizens' Right to Health and Ethics and Morality applied to Nursing Practice

8h

Unit 3: The application of legal principles in routine nursing practice is quite more complex than it appears to be.

4 study hours
  • •Discuss the ethical theories and principles applied to the practice of nursing and the principles approach to ethics.
  • •Understand the importance of keeping patients well and fully informed with serial updates about diagnosis, management trends, complications and prognosis.

Unit 4: Truth telling and white lie

4 study hours
  • •Discuss the importance of truth telling and white lie in nursing.
  • •Understand the importance of keeping patients well and fully informed with serial updates about diagnosis, management trends, complications and prognosis.
Week
7

Module 4: Legal Liability and Legal Protection in Nursing Practice

8h

Unit 1: Tort of Negligence and Malpractice

4 study hours
  • •Learn about the basic nursing errors that result in negligence.
  • •Understand legal doctrines related to negligence and defenses in negligence actions.

Unit 2: Intentional Torts that are relevant to Nursing Practice

4 study hours
  • •Learn about offenses such as trespass to person, invasion of privacy, defamation, and intentional harm to property.
  • •Understand the defense in such actions.
Week
8

Module 4: Legal Liability and Legal Protection in Nursing Practice

4h

Unit 3: Legal Protections in Nursing Practice

4 study hours
  • •Learn about laws designed to protect health care providers.
  • •Understand the actions nurses can take to protect themselves against liability.
Week
9

Module 5: Abortion, Euthanasia and End of Life Issues

8h

Unit 1: Abortion

4 study hours
  • •Discuss abortion and Foetal experimentation.

Unit 2: Euthanasia

4 study hours
  • •Discuss euthanasia or mercy killing which has different means of consideration by which health care practitioners (HCPs) justify their actions in cases that warrant such an action.
Week
10

Module 5: Abortion, Euthanasia and End of Life Issues

4h

Unit 3: Death Related-Issues

4 study hours
  • •Discuss death and dying, values in health and illness, indigenous and non-indigenous modes of healing, the nature of illness, life and death distinction, the right to live, the right to commit suicide.
Week
11

Module 6: Ethical Dilemma and Decision Making in Nursing

8h

Unit 1: Ethical Problems in Nursing

4 study hours
  • •Learn about the meaning of ethical dilemma.
  • •Understand the sources and categories of ethical problems.

Unit 2: Ethical Decision Making in Nursing

4 study hours
  • •Learn about different models for making ethical decisions.
  • •Understand the strategies to enhance ethical decisions and practice.
Week
12

Module 6: Ethical Dilemma and Decision Making in Nursing

8h

Unit 3: Application of Chally and Loriz Decision-Making Model in Resolving Ethical Dilemma

4 study hours
  • •Illustrate how Chally and Loriz model can be used to resolve an ethical dilemma.

Unit 4: Application of Cassells and Redman 1989 Model in Resolving Ethical Dilemma

4 study hours
  • •Illustrate how Cassells and Redman 1989 decision making model can be used to resolve an ethical dilemma.
Week
13

Final Revision

8h

Final Revision

8 study hours
  • •Review all modules and units.
  • •Work on assignments and TMAs.
  • •Prepare for final examination.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

Read the complete course material as provided by NOUN.

Access PDF Material

Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create concept maps linking ethical theories to practical nursing scenarios (Units 2-3)

2

Practice applying ethical decision-making models to case studies (Units 6)

3

Review key legal concepts and potential liabilities (Modules 2 and 4)

4

Focus on understanding patient rights and informed consent (Module 2)

5

Prepare arguments for and against controversial topics like abortion and euthanasia (Module 5)

Related Courses

Other courses in Health Sciences that complement your learning

PHS308

Health Management I & Ii

3 Units
EHS301

Introduction To Basic Instrumentation And Use

Units
PHS302

Organization Of School Health

3 Units
View All Health Sciences Courses