| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Nursing Context 3: Professional, Legal and Ethical
Decision-Making in Person-Centered Care. |
| Unit ID: | NURBN1012 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060301 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit introduces professional, legal and ethical frameworks that affect nursing and midwifery professions and professional practice. Students will be able to clearly identify professional, legal and ethical issues, concepts and principles and explore how these relate to the delivery of person/woman-centred consumer- led care and clinical decision-making. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | |  | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Explore the ethical, legal and professional frameworks that underpin professional nursing and midwifery in Australia |
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| K2. | Discuss the application of these frameworks in relation to the scope of practice and professional nursing and midwifery practice including mandatory reporting |
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| K3. | Explain the requirements for registration, the application of clinical governance and decision-making in nursing and midwifery practice, including the Registered Nurse Practice Standards and NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice. |
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| K4. | Identify the legal and ethical roles and responsibilities of professional nurses and midwives, including responses to critical incidents in vulnerable populations |
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| K5. | Explore the development of nursing and midwifery professions, in relation to the evolving legal and ethical principles. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Demonstrate an understanding of legal & ethical issues for healthcare professionals. |
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| S2. | Explain the scope of practice and professional regulation of nursing and midwifery |
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| S3. | Identify methods of managing information effectively from a legal perspective, including data mangement in healthcare settings. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Differentiate between legal and ethical issues and apply principles of law and ethics that influence nursing and midwifery practice |
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| A2. | Explore common law and statute law pertinent to nursing and midwifery practice. |
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| A3. | Demonstrate knowledge of the requirements of professional regulation for nursing and midwifery registration |
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| A4. | Explain consumer rights that are legally and ethically aligned to the current Australian standards in healthcare settings. |
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| Unit Content: |
The current NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, NMBA Code of Conduct for Nurses, Code of Ethics for Nurses, National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, Aged Care Quality Standards, National Health Priority Areas and where applicable the NMBA National Competency Standards for the Midwives, NMBA Code of Conduct for Midwives, ICM/NMBA Code of Ethics for Midwives have informed the content development of this unit. Principles of ethics Documentation and data management Professional, legal and regulation responsibilities in nursing and midwifery. Australian legislation in the healthcare system |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3, A4 | Attendance at Active Learning Sessions | 80% Attendance at Active Learning Sessions | S/U Hurdle | | 2. | K2, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3, A4 | Explore and discuss the professional frameworks, legal and ethical stndards that inform nursing and midwifery. | Synchronous Oral Presentation | 30-50% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S2, A1, A2, A3, A4 | Critique of a legal, professional and/or ethical case scenario. | Case Study | 50-70% |
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