Ethical Decision-Making in Care

Learn how to use ethical frameworks to make decisions in care

On this course, you’ll explore ethical issues that arise in daily care, and learn the best practices for reflecting on and making moral decisions.

You’ll consider different ethical frameworks, including human rights, virtue ethics and the ‘Four Principles’ of medical ethics: nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and respect for autonomy.

You’ll compare methods of analysing a caregiving scenario, and identify the moral and ethical problems of a care situation. You’ll also learn how to apply a deliberative framework, where deliberation on a decision from multiple points of view is essential.

This course is primarily designed for caregivers, care assistants and nurses.

However, the course will also be of interest to anyone engaged in health and social care, or who uses health and social care services.

This course is primarily designed for caregivers, care assistants and nurses.

However, the course will also be of interest to anyone engaged in health and social care, or who uses health and social care services.

• Explain the meaning of 'ethics' in relation to care
• Explain how ethics differs from related concepts
• Explain The Four Principles Approach to care ethics
• Apply the Four Principles to a midwifery scenario
• Identify why ethics in care now receives a lot of media attention
• Describe human rights frameworks that impact on care-giving
• Evaluate the role of human rights in care
• Apply insights in human rights to decision-making regarding disagreements in care
• Describe the key elements of Virtue Ethics
• Identify moral problems that arise in care
• Debate the usefulness of Virtue Ethics in relating to care-recipient choices
• Apply Virtue Ethics to public health decision-making
• Identify ethical aspects of an elder care scenario
• Compare and contrast three different ways of analysing an elder care scenario
• Apply a Deliberative Framework to care-giving scenarios
• Discuss the role of ethical decision-making in care during a pandemic
• Reflect on your learning from this course