Overview
As a nursing student, you may be confronted by legal and ethical dilemmas that will require you to apply appropriate decision-making skills. This unit will support your transition to a graduate nurse by ensuring that you understand the healthcare laws that govern the profession of nursing. In this unit, you will examine the legal concepts and ethical principles and explore how registered nurses apply these in a healthcare context.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: BIOH12012 Co-requisite: NURS12162
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2027
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Academic Progression Policy and Procedure
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student email feedback
Students consistently praised the unit's clear organisation and structure, noting that the weekly learning pathway, concise materials, and well-sequenced content made complex legal and ethical concepts manageable and easy to follow.
Continue maintaining a clearly structured weekly learning pathway with consistent organisation of learning materials, activities, and assessment information. Regularly review the content sequence to ensure students build knowledge and confidence progressively throughout the term.
Feedback from SUTE feedback
Students highly valued the range of flexible learning resources, including podcasts, podcast transcripts, recorded workshops, concise mini-lectures, and weekly summary emails, which supported revision, accommodated different learning preferences, and enhanced accessibility.
Continue providing a diverse range of learning resources that support flexible learning and accommodate different learning styles. Explore opportunities to further enhance accessibility by improving audio consistency and incorporating concise summary points to reinforce key concepts
Feedback from SUTE feedback
Students appreciated the integration of authentic clinical scenarios and practical examples throughout the unit, reporting that these approaches helped translate legal and ethical theory into meaningful nursing practice.
Continue embedding authentic clinical scenarios and contemporary legal and ethical case studies throughout the curriculum. Expand the use of current professional examples where appropriate to further strengthen students' ability to apply theoretical knowledge in clinical settings.
Feedback from SUTE feedback
Students responded positively to the assessment design, particularly the scaffolded workbook, which promoted continuous engagement and application of knowledge. While feedback on assessments was overwhelmingly positive, a small number of students suggested reviewing aspects of the oral presentation assessment and submission processes.
Maintain the scaffolded workbook assessment and continue providing clear assessment guidance and exemplars. Review the oral presentation assessment and associated submission processes to ensure technical requirements, assessment expectations, and workload remain clear, equitable, and achievable.
Feedback from Student email feedback
Students consistently described the learning environment as supportive and student-centred, highlighting timely communication, prompt responses to enquiries, clear assessment guidance, and approachable teaching staff as important contributors to their learning experience.
Continue fostering a supportive learning environment through proactive communication, timely responses to student enquiries, regular announcements, and active engagement within discussion forums. Maintain opportunities for students to seek clarification and receive guidance throughout the term
Feedback from Student email feedback
Students valued the engaging, accessible teaching approach, noting that the unit coordinators explained complex legal and ethical concepts clearly and delivered them in a way that reduced anxiety, increased confidence, and encouraged active engagement with the content.
Continue delivering concise, engaging learning activities that simplify complex concepts while maintaining academic rigour. Build on practical explanations and interactive teaching strategies to further support student confidence and participation.
Feedback from SUTE feedback
Students consistently recognised the unit's relevance to contemporary nursing practice, reporting that the learning activities and assessments strengthened their understanding of registered nurses' legal and ethical responsibilities and increased their preparedness for professional practice.
Continue aligning learning activities and assessments with contemporary nursing practice and current legal and ethical issues. Strengthen links between theory, professional standards, and clinical practice to further prepare students for graduate nursing roles.