Pre-Hospital Ethical and Legal Issues

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Explain and demonstrate understanding of ethical and legal terminology and abbreviations relevant to paramedic practice;
2. Locate relevant and important legislation, legal concepts and case law and discuss them with application to paramedic practice;
3. Examine ethical governance and the core bioethical principles relevant to contemporary health care provision and apply a framework for ethical decision making;
4. Analyse fundamental patient rights including autonomy, consent, refusal of treatment, privacy and confidentiality and their application in paramedic practice;
5. Discuss and analyse the legal and ethical obligations surrounding paramedic work from an industrial and professional perspective including occupational health and safety, complaints and the role of the Health Services Commissioner, negligence and liability, ambulance service governance and emergency management, use of drugs and driving emergency vehicles;
6. Discuss and examine the legal and ethical obligations surrounding vulnerable patients and protective jurisdiction including issues of domestic violence, child maltreatment and elder abuse, end-of-life care, sexual assault and mental illness.