| Unit name | Introduction to Healthcare Ethics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BRMS30020 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Ives |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Bristol Medical School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
One of the ways we can start to unpick knotty ethical questions in professional practice is to think about what it is that makes some actions right and others wrong. We do this by studying ethical theory, which tries to explain why some actions are morally praiseworthy, permissible or impermissible.
An understanding of ethical theory is the foundation upon which your understanding of healthcare ethics and law will be built. It will give you an analytic lens through which you can understand an ethical problem, and give you a toolkit you can use to develop responses to ethical problems. As such, this mandatory unit is an essential step towards developing the ability to conduct research in healthcare ethics and law.
The Introduction to Healthcare Ethics unit will equip you with knowledge and understanding of foundational philosophical principles and ethical theory in healthcare ethics, allowing you to critically engage with practical and theoretical ethical problems and take a critical stance towards healthcare law. This unit runs in TB1, alongside the Ethical Judgments in Healthcare Law unit. Together, these units provide grounding in healthcare ethics and healthcare law, preparing you to undertake independent research in these areas. You will build on these foundations in TB2, when you move to study the Contemporary Bioethics and Preparing for Publication in Healthcare Ethics and Law units.
Overview of content
This unit covers a range of ethical theories, principles and approaches. This includes classic ethical theories such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics, frameworks such as the ‘four principles’ (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice), and more contemporary ways of thinking about ethics, including feminist ethics/ethics or care, narrative ethics, deliberative ethics and global perspectives. Understanding theory will be strengthened by application to cases, so that you develop understanding of theory in context. We will also cover skills, for example: reading ethics literature; building and critiquing argument; essay writing; developing your own critical voice.
How this unit will change you
This unit will challenge your perspective on ethics, encouraging you to confront your assumptions, think in a structured, logical way, and develop your own views and defend them. It might lead you to revise beliefs you currently hold, or develop beliefs around topics you had never thought about.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you should be able to:
On this unit, each week follows a set structure, with varied learning activities that will enable you to build your skills, knowledge and understanding incrementally. You will start with basic knowledge building (so that are familiar with key concepts and language), and then develop a deeper understanding through activities so that you can apply and test your knowledge and key skills.
Each learning week will start with you viewing introductory mini-lectures online that will introduce you to key elements of the theories/principles/approaches we are focussing on that week. You will be directed to essential reading, which will build on the introductory lectures and expose you to broader and deeper way of thinking. In the middle of the week, we will get together to discuss a paper that demonstrates the application of theory, and we use this to explore critical perspective on the theory and how it can work in practice. You will then complete a short writing task, reflecting on or responding to, part of your learning so far, and we will then discuss your writing task (focussing on a few contributions each week) at the end of the week.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Formative assessment will focus on helping you to learn by allowing you to practice key skills and test key knowledge as you go along, though participation in group activities, informal individual tasks, and a formal practice essay. You will receive formal written and informal verbal feedback, specifically:
Weekly writing tasks: Each week, there will be a small informal writing task, linked to that week’s material (theory and a case), which will give you the opportunity to practice and develop your writing and argument skills incrementally. Yor writing will be shared (e.g. posted on Padlet), so your peers and staff can provide short comments/responses. The writing will also be used to inform the weekly seminar discussion, where you will you receive further informal feedback from peers and staff as you contribute to the discussion.
Oral debate, 10 minutes: Mid way though the unit, you will take part in a structured debate, in which you will work in team to present an argument for or against a motion (an ethical statement). This will allow you to practice your research, writing, argument, group work, and oral presentation skills. You will receive ‘in the moment’ peer feedback during the debate, and verbal feedback from a member of staff at the end.
Essay, 1500 words: You will have the opportunity to practice and develop your research, argument and essay writing skills, as well as put your knowledge to the test, by submitting a formative version of your summative essay. You will receive written feedback on your formative essay so that you can improve your work for the summative essay submission and you will have the opportunity to discuss the feedback with a tutor, before you develop it for the summative essay.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Essay, 3000 words. This unit is assessed though a 3000 word essay, which forms 100% of the unit’s summative assessment. You will have choice of topics, and through the essay you will have the opportunity to demonstrate you have met all the unit learning outcomes.
When assessment does not go to plan
If you fail a summative assessment, you would not ordinarily be allowed to re-sit that assessment as all assessments sit in the final year of the programme.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BRMS30020).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
