3. Ethical and Legal Issues
This module provides an introduction to ethical and legal issues in health care, as part of a foundation to Leadership for Nurses. An understanding of ethical and legal issues in nursing is paramount for nurse leaders in addressing many of the challenges that face health-care teams.
In this short module, learning will focus on five subtopics:
- Ethical foundations
- Ethics and the law
- Addressing ethical issues: Ethics frameworks
- Ethical challenges in developing a plan of care
- Living at risk and moral distress
Health-care systems and the delivery of care are becoming more ethically and legally complex. With an introduction to ethical and legal foundations in nursing, and the integration of case-based scenarios, this module will provide learners with the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to navigate and prioritize ethical and legal issues in health care.