HSCI 347 FOUNDATIONS IN HEALTH CARE ETHICS Texas A&M University Texarkana Syllabus Spring 2012 College of Science Technology Engineering & Math Web-based HSCI 347/547 1
COURSE NUMBER: HSCI 347 Texas A&M University-Texarkana COURSE TITLE: Foundations of Health Care Ethics COURSE CREDIT: 3 Semester Credit Hours (3-0) FACULTY: OFFICE: Office Hours: Josephine Kaher Ed.D., RN, CS 120-3 STEM Building Monday 10:00-3:00 PM Tuesday 10:00-12:00 PM On-Line Tuesday 12-3:30pm Other hours by appointment. Office Phone: 903-223-3175 PREREQUISITES: None COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course introduces undergraduate and graduate students to Health Care Ethics. It includes the philosophical underpinnings of health care ethics, examples of healthcare dilemmas, and examples of legal documents that are important during the course of health care delivery. This course is open to all undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline. Some of the topics which will be discussed and debated include, but are not limited to, euthanasia (active and passive), hospice, abortion, patient rights, refusal of treatment and medical use of marijuana for adjunctive cancer pain treatment. TEXT: Beauchamp, T. L. & Childress, J. F. (2009). Principles of biomedical ethics (6th Ed.) Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780195335705. RECOMMENDED: American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6 th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. ISBN: 9781433805615 HSCI 347/547 2
STUDENT LEARNER OUTCOMES: After completing this course, the student will be able to: 1. Discuss the philosophical underpinnings of health care ethics. 2. Present an ethical dilemma argument online. 3. Analyze a health care dilemma within the framework of logical reasoning. 4. Explain the inter-relationships between health care ethics and ethical dilemmas. TEACHING STRATEGIES: Assigned readings from text & online library resources, online group discussions, online exams, and online assignments, including an ethical dilemma power point and paper GRADING SCALE: 90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D 59 or less = F EVALUATION METHODS: Logical Reasoning Assignment 15% Ethical Dilemma Power Point & DB leader 25% Ethical Dilemma Paper 30% Discussion Board Participation 20% Exam [2 at 5% each] 10% 100% STATEMENT OF ADA Students with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations through the A&M- Texarkana Disability Services Office by calling 903-223-3062. A&M-Texarkana Email Address: Upon application to Texas A&M University-Texarkana an individual will be assigned an A&M-Texarkana email account. This email account will be used to deliver official university correspondence. Each individual is responsible for information sent and received via the university email account and is expected to check the official A&M- HSCI 347/547 3
Texarkana email account on a frequent and consistent basis. Faculty and students are required to utilize the university email account when communicating about coursework. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Academic honesty is expected of students enrolled in this course. Cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification of research data, plagiarism and undocumented use of materials from any source constitute academic dishonesty and may be grounds for a grade of F in the course and/or disciplinary actions. Additional information is in the university catalog. Plagiarism is defined as taking and using the writing, invention, expression, or ideas of another person as one s own idea and will not be tolerated. If plagiarism is suspected, the paper will be submitted to turn it in for verification of plagiarism. Drop Policy: University Drop Policy: To drop this course after the 12th class day, a student must complete the Drop/Withdrawal Request Form, located on the University website http://tamut.edu/registrar/droppingwithdrawing-from-classes.html) or obtained in the Registrar s Office. The student must submit the signed and completed form to the instructor of each course indicated on the form to be dropped for his/her signature. The signature is not an approval to drop, but rather confirmation that the student has discussed the drop/withdrawal with the faculty member. The form must be submitted to the Registrar s office for processing in person, email Registrar@tamut.edu, mail (P. O. Box 5518, Texarkana, TX 75505) or fax (903-223-3140). Drop/withdraw forms missing any of the required information will not be accepted by the Registrar s Office for processing. It is the student s responsibility to ensure that the form is completed properly before submission. If a student stops participating in class (attending and submitting assignments) but does not complete and submit the drop/withdrawal form, a final grade based on work completed as outlined in the syllabus will be assigned. WEB-COURSE ETIQUETTE: On-line learning is not the same as being in the class room, but it does afford you the freedom to work when it is best for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Emails and phone calls will be responded to promptly. Emails and discussion board [for course questions] will be checked daily except weekends and holidays. Most of the time, any problems you encounter during the semester may be resolved. Student Technical Assistance HSCI 347/547 4
Solutions to common problems and FAQ s for your web-enhanced and online courses are found at this link: http://www.tamut.edu/webcourses/index.php?pageid=37 If you cannot find your resolution there, you can send in a support request detailing your specific problem here: http://www.tamut.edu/webcourses/gethelp2.php Blackboard Helpdesk contacts: Office hours are: Monday - Friday, 8:00a to 5:00p Kevin Williams (main contact) 903-223-3028 kevin.williams@tamut.edu Frank Miller (alternate) 903-223-3156 frank.miller@tamut.edu Nikki Thomson (alternate) 903-223-3083 nikki.thomson@tamut.edu Technical Requirements for online courses: Minimum System Requirements The following computer system requirements are recommended for an online course: OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista; Mac OSX 10.2 & above RAM: 256 MB, Processor: 2.0 GHz, Free space on HDD: 500MB Internet Connection: (Broadband/DSL preferred), Dial Up 56k minimum Browser: Internet Explorer 6 or 7, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, Safari 1.0 Java: Version 6 Update 11 or later Sound card and speakers Software Requirements Pop-up Blockers All pop-up blockers installed on your computer must be set to allow pop-ups from Blackboard Java Runtime Environment You must have the Java Runtime Environment installed. This is a free plug-in for your browser that can be obtained by going to http://www.java.com Additional Plug-ins You may need additional software based on the content that your instructor posts in their course. Commonly needed applications are: Microsoft Office 2007/2003/XP Suite/Works (not free software) Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download) Windows Media Player (free download) Real Time Media Player (free download) Quick Time Media Player (free download) Macromedia/Adobe Flash (free download) Macromedia/Adobe Shockwave (free download) HSCI 347/547 5
Papers are to be turned into the instructor in Microsoft Word or pdf format. If you don t know what this means, please contact the professor. You are not to send your work as zip files or in any other format. RESERVE RIGHTS: The course faculty member reserves the right to make any changes to this course at any time to further enhance learning. ~If you are a graduate student taking this course for graduate credit, the number of articles or the addition to the assignment is found in [ ]. ~ ONLINE ASSIGNMENT #1 15% CRITERIA FOR LOGICAL REASONING EXERCISE I. Logical Reasoning Exercise Logical reasoning is necessary throughout the health care process and especially during the evaluation process. Deductive and inductive reasoning may be employed in evaluation, so you must be proficient in the use of both methods. Logical reasoning requires the ability to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information, between facts and opinions, and between logical sequences of thought and false reasoning. In the reasoning process, facts are more valuable than opinions. Opinions are subjective, often based on misinformation, emotion, or prejudice, and they may or may not be true. Observations and logical reasoning should answer questions: What was done; how was it done; what was said, when, and in what order; where; and who was involved. No conclusion or interpretation of a single observation should be made until all information is collected. Retrieve and read two journal articles from an accessible online source [I suggest online library resources; not Google]; one article regarding critical thinking and one article regarding logical reasoning. Answer the questions on the following page as fully as possible. [You may copy the page into a Word document and save your answers.] Submit a copy of your responses and your article links to me through the assignment link on Blackboard. Additionally, you will post your articles on the discussion board to share with your colleagues. Do not post your question responses. Post your articles on the discussion board. You may copy the articles and post as a document or post a link to the article sites. Post your discussions regarding at least 2 [4] of the articles. HSCI 347/547 6
LOGICAL REASONING AND ETHICS STUDENT NAME: 1. What is logical reasoning? Define the term and discuss your perspective and application of the concept(s). 2. What are the challenges in logical reasoning, critical thinking, and problemsolving? 3. What is the relationship between logical reasoning and critical thinking? You may develop this information into a comparative chart, if desired. 4. How does logical reasoning influence decisions that may be made regarding ethical dilemmas? Cite an example of an ethical dilemma and discuss the application of logical reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving in reaching a conclusion to the problem. HSCI 347/547 7
ONLINE ASSIGNMENT #2 25% Ethical Dilemma PowerPoint & DB Leader Identify and research an ethical dilemma chosen from current or recent situations/occurrences. Present the dilemma, pros and cons of the dilemma (why it is or may potentially become an ethical dilemma), identification of ethical principles applicable to the situation, the decision that was reached, if any, and your defense or argument of the final outcome or pending resolution in a PowerPoint presentation. [The same ethical dilemma is used in writing your paper.] You should have at least 5 references, no more than 5 years old. Post your PowerPoint on the DB labeled Power Points. Be sure to put your name on your title slide and create a slide of your references. Each student will be assigned a week in which discussions will be lead by that student on the presentation that was posted. You must lead the discussions of your presentation during your assigned presentation week. Presentation titles will be posted specifying dates for discussion. Presenters will be expected to check the discussion board at least once a day. All students will be expected to post meaningful dialogue on each presentation each week, as well as addressing discussion on your own presentation during your assigned week. The assignment will be graded in two sections: 1. The PowerPoint Presentation, content & style, is worth 20%. 2. The online discussion is worth 5%. ETHICAL DILEMMA PAPER 30% Using the above ethical dilemma research, develop a paper that presents the dilemma, discusses the pros and cons of the dilemma, identifies and discusses the ethical principles (justice, nonmaleficence, beneficence, autonomy, fidelity, & veracity) applicable to the situation citing specific examples of their relevance to the dilemma, reveals decisions made, if any, present your defense or argument of the final or pending outcome, and your conclusions of the dilemma. The paper must be in APA format, about 5-8 pages double-spaced excluding the title and reference pages [No more than 15 pages with references]. {Criteria for this paper are found later in the syllabus and posted separately on the homepage of the course.} HSCI 347/547 8
A. EXAMPLES OF SOME ETHICAL DILEMMA TOPICS: Marijuana for medical use. Gay marriage Organ donation after cardiac [heart] death Euthanasia (Active or Passive) Abortion Capital punishment Legalization of all illegal drugs Physician assisted suicide Surrogate motherhood Withholding treatment Sex education Violence in the media Organ donation Religious issues in using organic versus mechanical replacement valves Use of animal organs for replacement Genetic engineering Artificial reproduction Vaccination for HPV recommended to be given girls between girls between ages 11-13. EXAMS 10% There will be two online exams in the course which may include multiple choice, matching and essay questions. These exams are worth 5% each [total of 10%] of your course grade. These exams will be posted for one week and may not be made up so please do whatever is necessary to take them during the week they are posted. HSCI 347/547 9
Week 1 1/18/2012 Week 2 1/23/2012 Week 3 1/30/2012 Week 4 2/6/2012 Week 5 2/13/2012 HSCI 347/547 Foundations in Health Care Ethics Spring 2012 Overview of the course; review of syllabus & course requirements Moral Norms Introduce self on Discussion Board Text Chap 1 Moral Character Text Chap 2 DB #1 due 1/29 Moral States Text Chap 3 Assignment #1 due 2/5 Exam Week Autonomy Nonmaleficence Exam #1 due midnight 2/12 Text Chap 4 Text Chap 5 DB #2 due 2/19 Week 6 Beneficence Text Chap 6 2/20/2012 Week 7 2/27/2012 Justice Text Chap 7 DB #3 due 3/4 Week 8 3/5/2012 Professional-Patient Relationship Text Chap 8 DB #4 due 3/11 Week 9 Spring Break 3/12-3/16 Week 10 3/19/2012 Exam Week Exam #2 due midnight 3/25 Week 11 3/26/2012 Moral Theories Text Chap 9 DB #5 due 4/1 Week 12 4/2/2012 Method & Moral Justification Text Chap 10 DB #6 due 4/8 Week 13 4/9/2012 Ethical Dilemma Presentations Week 14 4/16/2012 Week 15 4/23/2012 Week 16 4/30/2012 Presentations continue Presentations continue Class over You will be assigned a week to do your presentation. Ethical Dilemma Paper Due 4/29 Enjoy your semester break! HSCI 347/547 10
HSCI 347/547 Foundations of Health Care Ethics Spring 2012 Ethical Dilemma PowerPoint Presentation Online Assignment #3 Grading Criteria Criteria 1. PowerPoint presentation (Total of 100 points possible) Possible Points Points Earned a. Appropriate background 20 b. Professional use of space on slides 20 c. Adequate number of slides used to convey 20 information d. Title slide 10 e. Reference slide 10 f. Appropriate pictures/illustrations added 10 g. Appropriate fonts and formatting 10 2. Presentation Content (Total of 100 points possible) a. Ethical dilemma appropriately identified 15 b. Pros and cons of dilemma are clearly identified 20 and discussed c. Applicable ethical principles are appropriately 20 identified and discussed d. Discussion of decision(s) reached in the 15 research e. Your conclusions 15 f. Your defense or argument of final or pending 15 decisions 3. Online Discussion Leadership (Total of 100 points possible) a. Addressed comments, questions, and/or arguments at least once per day b. Provided meaningful feedback to discussion participants 50 50 HSCI 347/547 11
HSCI 347/547 Foundations of Healthcare Ethics Ethics Paper This assignment will consist of a written paper, 5-8 pages in length (body of paper). Each student is to select an ethical dilemma in health care. An ethical dilemma concerns an issue or a situation in which there is no clear cut right or wrong answer. (That s the dilemma part!) Being ethical is doing good and avoiding harm (Bandman & Bandman, 2002). The problem arises when to do good to one, will cause harm to someone else (who do we save, the mother or the baby?) You will need to select an ethical dilemma, explain why it is an ethical dilemma, discuss both sides of the issue in terms of which ethical principles are being served or endangered, and propose a solution to the ethical dilemma using one of the theories of ethics. (Be sure you clearly state which theory you are using to arrive at your solution.) The paper should be submitted as a formal paper, with title sheet and reference list utilizing the APA format. Each paper should be an individual effort and placed on the assignment link for this purpose by the due date listed on the calendar. Late papers will not be accepted. Student name Ethical dilemma clearly identified 10% % Both sides of dilemma delineated 20% % Ethical principles clearly identified 15% % Ethical theory identified and logically worked 20% % through to reach a proposed solution Grammar, formatting & spelling 10% % Logical presentation 10% % Creativity 15% % Total Score Bandman, E. & Bandman, B. (2002). Nursing ethics through the life span. (4 th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. HSCI 347/547 12