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Medical Ethics Course

Course Description

Medical Ethics for Healthcare Professionals (USA) is a course designed to help clinicians across all disciplines apply ethical principles in practice, meet regulatory expectations, and strengthen accountability during complaints or disciplinary inquiries.

The course explores the core bioethical principles — autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice — and examines how these interact with confidentiality, informed consent, truth-telling, and fairness in healthcare. Learners will also study the ethical standards set out in the AMA, ANA, ADA, APhA, and other professional codes, and see how state licensing boards and the FSMB evaluate ethical conduct during investigations.

Through structured guidance, case studies, and ethical decision-making models, participants will learn to analyse dilemmas, avoid common pitfalls, and demonstrate ethical integrity in daily practice and regulatory processes.

Course Content

Course Objectives
Course Objectives
Section 1: Introduction — Why Medical Ethics Matters in U.S. Healthcare
1.1 Ethics as the Foundation of Professional Practice
1.2 Ethics and Patient Safety
1.3 Ethics and Public Trust
1.4 Ethics and Licensure
1.5 Ethics as Daily Professional Practice
1.6 Reflective Quiz
Section 2: The Four Core Bioethical Principles (Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, Justice)
2.1 Autonomy — Respecting Patient Choice
2.2 Beneficence — Acting in the Patient’s Best Interest
2.3 Non-Maleficence — Do No Harm
2.4 Justice — Fairness in Healthcare
2.5 Applying the Principles Together
2.6 Reflective Quiz
Section 3: Confidentiality, Consent, and Truth-Telling in Medical Ethics
3.1 Confidentiality — Protecting Patient Information
3.2 Informed Consent — Respecting Patient Autonomy
3.3 Truth-Telling (Veracity) — Honesty in Healthcare
3.4 Balancing Confidentiality, Consent, and Truth-Telling
3.5 Reflective Quiz
Section 4: Professional Codes and Ethical Standards (AMA, ANA, ADA, APhA)
4.1 The American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics
4.2 The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics
4.4 The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Code of Ethics
4.5 Shared Themes Across Codes
4.6 Reflective Quiz
Section 5: Common Ethical Breaches in U.S. Healthcare Practice
5.1 Dishonesty and Lack of Probity
5.2 Breaches of Confidentiality
5.3 Boundary Violations
5.4 Informed Consent Failures
5.5 Conflicts of Interest
5.6 Unprofessional Conduct Online (Digital Professionalism)
5.7 Health and Substance Use Concerns
5.8 Reflective Quiz
Section 6: Ethical Decision-Making Models for Clinical and Professional Dilemmas
6.1 The Four Principles Approach (Beauchamp & Childress)
6.2 The Four Quadrants Model (Jonsen, Siegler, Winslade)
6.3 The MORAL Model (Common in Nursing)
6.4 The PLUS Model (Organisational Ethics)
6.5 Why Ethical Models Matter in Disciplinary Settings
6.6 Reflective Quiz
Section 7: Reflection and Accountability in Ethical Practice
7.1 What Reflection Means in Healthcare Ethics
7.2 Characteristics of Strong Reflection
7.3 From Reflection to Insight
7.4 Accountability as a Core Ethical Duty
7.5 Reflection, Insight, and Accountability in Regulatory Outcomes
7.6 Embedding Reflection and Accountability into Daily Practice
7.7 Why Regulators Prioritise Reflection and Accountability
7.8 Reflective Quiz
Section 8: Case Studies — Applying Ethics Across Healthcare Professions
8.1 Case Study: Informed Consent (Physician)
8.2 Case Study: Confidentiality Breach (Nurse)
8.3 Case Study: Boundary Violation (Dentist)
8.4 Case Study: Dispensing Error (Pharmacist)
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