LWS101 Ethics Law and Health Care
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | LWS101 |
|---|---|
| Equivalent(s): | LWD101 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2027, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | LWS101 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | LWD101 |
| Coordinators: | Eliana Close | eliana.close@qut.edu.au Shih-Ning Then | shih-ning.then@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Nursing practice involves making decisions for, and with, others. An important requirement of such decisions is that they are consistent with nurses' public and professional responsibilities and that they serve to promote the needs of patient/clients. In short, nursing practice is guided by normative requirements. The basic requirements and considerations are established by law, ethics and professional values. The unit explores the relationship between law and ethics to lay the foundations of understanding of both law and ethics as they relate to healthcare and to your professional practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Explain how law affects nursing practice and health care
- Discuss ethics and its place within nursing practice
- Apply the relevant sections of the ICN Code of Ethics and NMBA Code of Conduct to nursing practice, and
- Identify selected ethical and legal concerns in contemporary health care, including those relevant to diverse populations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Content
The content to be taught in this unit may include, but is not limited to:
1. the interrelationship between law, ethics and healthcare
2. ethical decision-making in healthcare
3. applications of law and ethics in healthcare contexts
4. consideration of diverse cultural, social, and professional perspectives in healthcare, including culturally safe practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
Learning Approaches
This unit employs an active and collaborative approach to learning. It involves online, self-led learning practice and live tutorials where you will learn from experts and peers. These learning experiences are designed to support the development of professional knowledge and capabilities required for nursing practice, including ethical reasoning, legal awareness, professional communication, and reflective practice.
Prior to tutorials, you will be supported and engaged through weekly snapshots of unit material, podcasts delivered by experts, formative learning activities, and collaborative discussions that introduce a range of practical and theoretical perspectives. These activities will support the development of critical thinking, professional judgement, and the ability to apply legal and ethical principles to real-world healthcare situations.
Your participation in the unit will include:
- Engagement with online modules consisting of podcasts, and problem-based activities that you will work through in your own time to develop your understanding of key concepts. There will be thirteen modules throughout the semester.
- Weekly independent preparation for online modules that includes reading prescribed materials and reflecting on tutorial learning activities.
- Weekly live tutorials where you will discuss the unit content with the class and receive feedback on learning activities. These tutorials will involve you working together using problem scenarios arising from clinical practice. In tutorials you will develop your ability to recognise and address problems in practice that give rise to ethical and/or legal concerns. For students on practicum, tutorial recordings will be available each week on the Canvas site.
- Collaboration with peers and experts to network and share your understandings.
This unit explores concepts that are relevant to students in a number of health disciplines and professions and therefore students undertaking this unit may be enrolled in a variety of postgraduate and undergraduate courses.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You are provided with formative and summative feedback to assist your learning throughout the semester, through:
- Discussions in live tutorials
- Online activities
- Individual feedback provided on assessment, together with the completed Criteria Referenced Assessment (CRA) form
- Generic feedback posted on the unit's Canvas for each item of assessment
- The option of consultation with a member of the teaching team
You should reflect upon the feedback on your assessment in this unit (both your individual and generic feedback as provided on Canvas) for the purpose of identifying:
- gaps in your knowledge and understanding of legal and ethical principles
- inadequacies in your problem-solving methodology
- strategies to improve your problem-solving and written communication skills in further assessment
Assessment
Overview
Summative assessment will be based on your completion of a problem-solving exercise and in-person examination.
Students may be required to attend campus or an assessment centre for the purposes of assessment, regardless of the attendance mode for the unit.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Problem-solving exercise
This assessment involves analysing ethical and legal issues arising in a real-world clinical scenario. The task requires consideration of patient care alongside relevant professional, legal, and regulatory responsibilities. It reflects real-world expectations of graduate nurses to identify ethical and legal concerns, apply appropriate frameworks, and clearly articulate and justify their professional decision-making.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment for improving readability and clarity. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Examination
There will be a compulsory examination worth 60% of the total assessment. The exam will be open book, and all topics covered during the course will be examinable. Students will work through a problem question(s) applying law and ethics in real-world scenarios.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
Refer to the Generative AI and assessment website (https://qut.to/gojdn).
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
McDonald, F & Then, S, Boyle, S, et al. Ethics, Law and Health Care: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives (Palgrave MacMillan, 3rd edition, Melbourne, 2026)
Other
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Ahpra. (2018 rev 2026). Code of Conduct for Nurses. Available on the unit canvas site and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia website.
International Council of Nurses. (2021). The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. Available on the unit Canvas site and the International Council of Nurses website.
Various learning materials will be available as a resource through the unit Canvas site.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no particular risks associated with this unit.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice.
- The RN complies with legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN uses ethical frameworks when making decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision-making, actions and evaluations
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination
2: Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships.
- The RN recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health-related decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN reports notifiable conduct of health professionals, health workers and others.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.NS42 Bachelor of Nursing
- Apply scientific knowledge and skills to provide safe, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Utilise critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and digital literacy skills to make ethical and sustainable evidence-based decisions and evaluate outcomes.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Practice as an ethical and culturally safe practitioner and reflect on your professional nursing identity across a range of healthcare settings.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise
NS89 Master of Nursing - Entry to Practice
- Integrate and apply scientific knowledge and skills to the provision of safe, holistic, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Critically analyse and evaluate theoretical, simulated and real-life clinical scenarios, applying clinical reasoning and digital proficiency to propose and evaluate clinically safe and sustainable decisions.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Practice as an ethical, inclusive, culturally safe and reflective practitioner to refine your professional identity and practice in a range of health service settings.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2027, Online
| Unit code: | LWS101 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | LWD101 |
Overview
Nursing practice involves making decisions for, and with, others. An important requirement of such decisions is that they are consistent with nurses' public and professional responsibilities and that they serve to promote the needs of patient/clients. In short, nursing practice is guided by normative requirements. The basic requirements and considerations are established by law, ethics and professional values. The unit explores the relationship between law and ethics to lay the foundations of understanding of both law and ethics as they relate to healthcare and to your professional practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Explain how law affects nursing practice and health care
- Discuss ethics and its place within nursing practice
- Apply the relevant sections of the ICN Code of Ethics and NMBA Code of Conduct to nursing practice, and
- Identify selected ethical and legal concerns in contemporary health care, including those relevant to diverse populations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Content
The content to be taught in this unit may include, but is not limited to:
1. the interrelationship between law, ethics and healthcare
2. ethical decision-making in healthcare
3. applications of law and ethics in healthcare contexts
4. consideration of diverse cultural, social, and professional perspectives in healthcare, including culturally safe practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
Learning Approaches
This unit employs an active and collaborative approach to learning. It involves online, self-led learning practice and live tutorials where you will learn from experts and peers. These learning experiences are designed to support the development of professional knowledge and capabilities required for nursing practice, including ethical reasoning, legal awareness, professional communication, and reflective practice.
Prior to tutorials, you will be supported and engaged through weekly snapshots of unit material, podcasts delivered by experts, formative learning activities, and collaborative discussions that introduce a range of practical and theoretical perspectives. These activities will support the development of critical thinking, professional judgement, and the ability to apply legal and ethical principles to real-world healthcare situations.
Your participation in the unit will include:
- Engagement with online modules consisting of podcasts, and problem-based activities that you will work through in your own time to develop your understanding of key concepts. There will be thirteen modules throughout the semester.
- Weekly independent preparation for online modules that includes reading prescribed materials and reflecting on tutorial learning activities.
- Weekly live tutorials where you will discuss the unit content with the class and receive feedback on learning activities. These tutorials will involve you working together using problem scenarios arising from clinical practice. In tutorials you will develop your ability to recognise and address problems in practice that give rise to ethical and/or legal concerns. For students on practicum, tutorial recordings will be available each week on the Canvas site.
- Collaboration with peers and experts to network and share your understandings.
This unit explores concepts that are relevant to students in a number of health disciplines and professions and therefore students undertaking this unit may be enrolled in a variety of postgraduate and undergraduate courses.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You are provided with formative and summative feedback to assist your learning throughout the semester, through:
- Discussions in live tutorials
- Online activities
- Individual feedback provided on assessment, together with the completed Criteria Referenced Assessment (CRA) form
- Generic feedback posted on the unit's Canvas for each item of assessment
- The option of consultation with a member of the teaching team
You should reflect upon the feedback on your assessment in this unit (both your individual and generic feedback as provided on Canvas) for the purpose of identifying:
- gaps in your knowledge and understanding of legal and ethical principles
- inadequacies in your problem-solving methodology
- strategies to improve your problem-solving and written communication skills in further assessment
Assessment
Overview
Summative assessment will be based on your completion of a problem-solving exercise and in-person examination.
Students may be required to attend campus or an assessment centre for the purposes of assessment, regardless of the attendance mode for the unit.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Problem-solving exercise
This assessment involves analysing ethical and legal issues arising in a real-world clinical scenario. The task requires consideration of patient care alongside relevant professional, legal, and regulatory responsibilities. It reflects real-world expectations of graduate nurses to identify ethical and legal concerns, apply appropriate frameworks, and clearly articulate and justify their professional decision-making.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment for improving readability and clarity. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Examination
There will be a compulsory examination worth 60% of the total assessment. The exam will be open book, and all topics covered during the course will be examinable. Students will work through a problem question(s) applying law and ethics in real-world scenarios.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
Refer to the Generative AI and assessment website (https://qut.to/gojdn).
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
McDonald, F & Then, S, Boyle, S, et al. Ethics, Law and Health Care: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives (Palgrave MacMillan, 3rd edition, Melbourne, 2026)
Other
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Ahpra. (2018 rev 2026). Code of Conduct for Nurses. Available on the unit canvas site and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia website.
International Council of Nurses. (2021). The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. Available on the unit Canvas site and the International Council of Nurses website.
Various learning materials will be available as a resource through the unit Canvas site.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no particular risks associated with this unit.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice.
- The RN complies with legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN uses ethical frameworks when making decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision-making, actions and evaluations
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination
2: Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships.
- The RN recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health-related decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN reports notifiable conduct of health professionals, health workers and others.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.NS42 Bachelor of Nursing
- Apply scientific knowledge and skills to provide safe, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Utilise critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and digital literacy skills to make ethical and sustainable evidence-based decisions and evaluate outcomes.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Practice as an ethical and culturally safe practitioner and reflect on your professional nursing identity across a range of healthcare settings.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise
NS89 Master of Nursing - Entry to Practice
- Integrate and apply scientific knowledge and skills to the provision of safe, holistic, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Critically analyse and evaluate theoretical, simulated and real-life clinical scenarios, applying clinical reasoning and digital proficiency to propose and evaluate clinically safe and sustainable decisions.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Practice as an ethical, inclusive, culturally safe and reflective practitioner to refine your professional identity and practice in a range of health service settings.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2027, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | LWS101 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | LWD101 |
| Coordinators: | Eliana Close | eliana.close@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Nursing practice involves making decisions for, and with, others. An important requirement of such decisions is that they are consistent with nurses' public and professional responsibilities and that they serve to promote the needs of patient/clients. In short, nursing practice is guided by normative requirements. The basic requirements and considerations are established by law, ethics and professional values. The unit explores the relationship between law and ethics to lay the foundations of understanding of both law and ethics as they relate to healthcare and to your professional practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Explain how law affects nursing practice and health care
- Discuss ethics and its place within nursing practice
- Apply the relevant sections of the ICN Code of Ethics and NMBA Code of Conduct to nursing practice, and
- Identify selected ethical and legal concerns in contemporary health care, including those relevant to diverse populations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Content
The content to be taught in this unit may include, but is not limited to:
1. the interrelationship between law, ethics and healthcare
2. ethical decision-making in healthcare
3. applications of law and ethics in healthcare contexts
4. consideration of diverse cultural, social, and professional perspectives in healthcare, including culturally safe practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
Learning Approaches
This unit employs an active and collaborative approach to learning. It involves online, self-led learning practice and live tutorials where you will learn from experts and peers. These learning experiences are designed to support the development of professional knowledge and capabilities required for nursing practice, including ethical reasoning, legal awareness, professional communication, and reflective practice.
Prior to tutorials, you will be supported and engaged through weekly snapshots of unit material, podcasts delivered by experts, formative learning activities, and collaborative discussions that introduce a range of practical and theoretical perspectives. These activities will support the development of critical thinking, professional judgement, and the ability to apply legal and ethical principles to real-world healthcare situations.
Your participation in the unit will include:
- Engagement with online modules consisting of podcasts, and problem-based activities that you will work through in your own time to develop your understanding of key concepts. There will be thirteen modules throughout the semester.
- Weekly independent preparation for online modules that includes reading prescribed materials and reflecting on tutorial learning activities.
- Weekly live tutorials where you will discuss the unit content with the class and receive feedback on learning activities. These tutorials will involve you working together using problem scenarios arising from clinical practice. In tutorials you will develop your ability to recognise and address problems in practice that give rise to ethical and/or legal concerns. For students on practicum, tutorial recordings will be available each week on the Canvas site.
- Collaboration with peers and experts to network and share your understandings.
This unit explores concepts that are relevant to students in a number of health disciplines and professions and therefore students undertaking this unit may be enrolled in a variety of postgraduate and undergraduate courses.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You are provided with formative and summative feedback to assist your learning throughout the semester, through:
- Discussions in live tutorials
- Online activities
- Individual feedback provided on assessment, together with the completed Criteria Referenced Assessment (CRA) form
- Generic feedback posted on the unit's Canvas for each item of assessment
- The option of consultation with a member of the teaching team
You should reflect upon the feedback on your assessment in this unit (both your individual and generic feedback as provided on Canvas) for the purpose of identifying:
- gaps in your knowledge and understanding of legal and ethical principles
- inadequacies in your problem-solving methodology
- strategies to improve your problem-solving and written communication skills in further assessment
Assessment
Overview
Summative assessment will be based on your completion of a problem-solving exercise and in-person examination.
Students may be required to attend campus or an assessment centre for the purposes of assessment, regardless of the attendance mode for the unit.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Problem-solving exercise
This assessment involves analysing ethical and legal issues arising in a real-world clinical scenario. The task requires consideration of patient care alongside relevant professional, legal, and regulatory responsibilities. It reflects real-world expectations of graduate nurses to identify ethical and legal concerns, apply appropriate frameworks, and clearly articulate and justify their professional decision-making.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment for improving readability and clarity. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Examination
There will be a compulsory examination worth 60% of the total assessment. The exam will be open book, and all topics covered during the course will be examinable. Students will work through a problem question(s) applying law and ethics in real-world scenarios.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
Refer to the Generative AI and assessment website (https://qut.to/gojdn).
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
McDonald, F & Then, S, Boyle, S, et al. Ethics, Law and Health Care: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives (Palgrave MacMillan, 3rd edition, Melbourne, 2026)
Other
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Ahpra. (2018 rev 2026). Code of Conduct for Nurses. Available on the unit canvas site and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia website.
International Council of Nurses. (2021). The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. Available on the unit Canvas site and the International Council of Nurses website.
Various learning materials will be available as a resource through the unit Canvas site.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no particular risks associated with this unit.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice.
- The RN complies with legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN uses ethical frameworks when making decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision-making, actions and evaluations
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination
2: Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships.
- The RN recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health-related decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN reports notifiable conduct of health professionals, health workers and others.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.NS42 Bachelor of Nursing
- Apply scientific knowledge and skills to provide safe, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Utilise critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and digital literacy skills to make ethical and sustainable evidence-based decisions and evaluate outcomes.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Practice as an ethical and culturally safe practitioner and reflect on your professional nursing identity across a range of healthcare settings.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise
NS89 Master of Nursing - Entry to Practice
- Integrate and apply scientific knowledge and skills to the provision of safe, holistic, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Critically analyse and evaluate theoretical, simulated and real-life clinical scenarios, applying clinical reasoning and digital proficiency to propose and evaluate clinically safe and sustainable decisions.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Practice as an ethical, inclusive, culturally safe and reflective practitioner to refine your professional identity and practice in a range of health service settings.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2027, Online
| Unit code: | LWS101 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | LWD101 |
Overview
Nursing practice involves making decisions for, and with, others. An important requirement of such decisions is that they are consistent with nurses' public and professional responsibilities and that they serve to promote the needs of patient/clients. In short, nursing practice is guided by normative requirements. The basic requirements and considerations are established by law, ethics and professional values. The unit explores the relationship between law and ethics to lay the foundations of understanding of both law and ethics as they relate to healthcare and to your professional practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Explain how law affects nursing practice and health care
- Discuss ethics and its place within nursing practice
- Apply the relevant sections of the ICN Code of Ethics and NMBA Code of Conduct to nursing practice, and
- Identify selected ethical and legal concerns in contemporary health care, including those relevant to diverse populations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Content
The content to be taught in this unit may include, but is not limited to:
1. the interrelationship between law, ethics and healthcare
2. ethical decision-making in healthcare
3. applications of law and ethics in healthcare contexts
4. consideration of diverse cultural, social, and professional perspectives in healthcare, including culturally safe practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
Learning Approaches
This unit employs an active and collaborative approach to learning. It involves online, self-led learning practice and live tutorials where you will learn from experts and peers. These learning experiences are designed to support the development of professional knowledge and capabilities required for nursing practice, including ethical reasoning, legal awareness, professional communication, and reflective practice.
Prior to tutorials, you will be supported and engaged through weekly snapshots of unit material, podcasts delivered by experts, formative learning activities, and collaborative discussions that introduce a range of practical and theoretical perspectives. These activities will support the development of critical thinking, professional judgement, and the ability to apply legal and ethical principles to real-world healthcare situations.
Your participation in the unit will include:
- Engagement with online modules consisting of podcasts, and problem-based activities that you will work through in your own time to develop your understanding of key concepts. There will be thirteen modules throughout the semester.
- Weekly independent preparation for online modules that includes reading prescribed materials and reflecting on tutorial learning activities.
- Weekly live tutorials where you will discuss the unit content with the class and receive feedback on learning activities. These tutorials will involve you working together using problem scenarios arising from clinical practice. In tutorials you will develop your ability to recognise and address problems in practice that give rise to ethical and/or legal concerns. For students on practicum, tutorial recordings will be available each week on the Canvas site.
- Collaboration with peers and experts to network and share your understandings.
This unit explores concepts that are relevant to students in a number of health disciplines and professions and therefore students undertaking this unit may be enrolled in a variety of postgraduate and undergraduate courses.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You are provided with formative and summative feedback to assist your learning throughout the semester, through:
- Discussions in live tutorials
- Online activities
- Individual feedback provided on assessment, together with the completed Criteria Referenced Assessment (CRA) form
- Generic feedback posted on the unit's Canvas for each item of assessment
- The option of consultation with a member of the teaching team
You should reflect upon the feedback on your assessment in this unit (both your individual and generic feedback as provided on Canvas) for the purpose of identifying:
- gaps in your knowledge and understanding of legal and ethical principles
- inadequacies in your problem-solving methodology
- strategies to improve your problem-solving and written communication skills in further assessment
Assessment
Overview
Summative assessment will be based on your completion of a problem-solving exercise and in-person examination.
Students may be required to attend campus or an assessment centre for the purposes of assessment, regardless of the attendance mode for the unit.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Problem-solving exercise
This assessment involves analysing ethical and legal issues arising in a real-world clinical scenario. The task requires consideration of patient care alongside relevant professional, legal, and regulatory responsibilities. It reflects real-world expectations of graduate nurses to identify ethical and legal concerns, apply appropriate frameworks, and clearly articulate and justify their professional decision-making.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment for improving readability and clarity. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Examination
There will be a compulsory examination worth 60% of the total assessment. The exam will be open book, and all topics covered during the course will be examinable. Students will work through a problem question(s) applying law and ethics in real-world scenarios.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
Refer to the Generative AI and assessment website (https://qut.to/gojdn).
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
McDonald, F & Then, S, Boyle, S, et al. Ethics, Law and Health Care: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives (Palgrave MacMillan, 3rd edition, Melbourne, 2026)
Other
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Ahpra. (2018 rev 2026). Code of Conduct for Nurses. Available on the unit canvas site and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia website.
International Council of Nurses. (2021). The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. Available on the unit Canvas site and the International Council of Nurses website.
Various learning materials will be available as a resource through the unit Canvas site.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no particular risks associated with this unit.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice.
- The RN complies with legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN uses ethical frameworks when making decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision-making, actions and evaluations
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination
2: Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships.
- The RN recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health-related decisions
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - The RN reports notifiable conduct of health professionals, health workers and others.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.NS42 Bachelor of Nursing
- Apply scientific knowledge and skills to provide safe, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Utilise critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and digital literacy skills to make ethical and sustainable evidence-based decisions and evaluate outcomes.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Practice as an ethical and culturally safe practitioner and reflect on your professional nursing identity across a range of healthcare settings.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise
NS89 Master of Nursing - Entry to Practice
- Integrate and apply scientific knowledge and skills to the provision of safe, holistic, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Critically analyse and evaluate theoretical, simulated and real-life clinical scenarios, applying clinical reasoning and digital proficiency to propose and evaluate clinically safe and sustainable decisions.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise, Examination - Practice as an ethical, inclusive, culturally safe and reflective practitioner to refine your professional identity and practice in a range of health service settings.
Relates to: Problem-solving exercise