Professional Ethics (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

Pass/Fail

Content scheduling

Live webinars will be realized as follows. Note: Mandatory participation.

1. Webinar: 14.9.2020 Monday 6-8 pm Helsinki time (Introduction to Professional Ethics)
2. Webinar: 28.9.2020 Monday 6-8 pm Helsinki time (Laws and Ethics)
3. Webinar: 5.10.2020 Monday 6-8 pm Helsinki time (Ethical issues in professional practice and decision-making I)
4. Webinar: 19.10.2020 Monday 6-8 pm Helsinki time (Ethical issues in professional practice and decision-making II)
5. Webinar: 2.11.2020 Monday 6-8 pm Helsinki time (Ethical case analyses)
6. Webinar: 16.11.2020 Monday 6-8 pm Helsinki time (Professional competency and autonomy)

Objective

Purpose of the course is to strengthen participants’ ethical knowledge and skills by helping them to reflect, analyse and understand ethical dilemmas occurring in professional practice. Another purpose is to examine general ethical principles and a set of standards adopted by professional communities in health and social care and review their effect on opinion and decision-making of professionals.

Competences:
Ethical competence
Internationalisation and communications competence

Learning objectives:
At the end of the course, you are able to differentiate among values, morals and ethical guidelines and recognize how they affect on professional practice. You have an ability to identify, critically analyse and discuss a wide variety of issues related to ethical dilemmas within your professional practice. In addition, you can apply ethical decision-making processes and generate solutions to conflicts arising in professional practice.

Content

Introduction to Professional Ethics
Ethical issues in professional practice: cases, exercises
Ethical approaches
Ethical decision-making: exercises, group work
Professional competency and autonomy

Materials

Shaping an Ethical Workplace Culture. 2013. SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series. Sponsored by Briggs and Morgan, P.A., The Kenrich Group LLC. Available online: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/special-reports-and-expert-views/Documents/Ethical-Workplace-Culture.pdf

Monrouxe, L., & Rees, C. E. 2017. Healthcare Professionalism: Improving Practice through Reflections on Workplace Dilemmas. Wiley-Blackwell.

Hopia, H., Lottes, I. & Kanne, M. 2016. Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas of Finnish and Dutch Health Professionals. Nursing Ethics, 23(6), 659–673. doi: 10.1177/0969733015579311

Teaching methods

Online learning:
Live webinars: 12 hours (6 x 2 hours)
Independent studies: 123 hours

Assignments:
Discussion group participation: pass-fail (group feedback, teacher feedback)
Case analyses paper: pass-fail (teacher feedback)
Self-evaluation: pass-fail

Employer connections

The content of the course will be based partly upon an integration of students' experiences with moral issues and ethical dilemmas arising from professional practice.

Student workload

Live webinars: 12 hours
Discussion group participation assignment: 50 hours
Case analyses paper assignment: 60 hours
Self-evaluation: 13 hours

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Approved S:
Student is able to identify and explain main differences between ethical dilemmas and work issues with an ethical concern at one's own professional field. Student demonstrates ability to discuss ethical dilemmas in a critical manner with fellow students. Student also applies decision-making and problem-solving knowledge and skills during the course.

Further information

Group evaluation
Evaluation given by a teacher
Self-evaluation