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Ethics and Ethical Standards for Nurses and Midwives

Course Content

1

Section 1: Introduction

  • 1.1 Why ethics matters in Canadian nursing and midwifery

  • 1.2 The regulatory framework: CNA and provincial and territorial colleges

  • 1.3 Ethics as the foundation of trust in care

2

Section 2: Core Ethical Principles

  • 2.1 Autonomy: respecting patient rights and decision-making

  • 2.2 Beneficence: acting in the patient’s best interests

  • 2.3 Non-maleficence: the duty to do no harm

  • 2.4 Justice: fairness, equity, and cultural safety

3

Section 3: Ethical Standards Expected

  • 3.1 Honesty, transparency, and integrity in care

  • 3.2 Confidentiality and patient information

  • 3.3 Maintaining competence and lifelong learning (CPD)

  • 3.4 Managing conflicts of interest in nursing and midwifery

  • 3.5 Professional boundaries in nurse-patient and midwife-patient relationships

4

Section 4: Ethics in Clinical Decision-Making

  • 4.1 Informed consent and shared decision-making in care

  • 4.2 Truth-telling and disclosure of errors

  • 4.3 Ethical issues in end-of-life care and maternity care

  • 4.4 Ethical challenges in resource allocation and system pressures

5

Section 5: Breaches & Consequences

  • 5.1 Examples of misconduct in nursing and midwifery

  • 5.2 How concerns are raised and investigated by regulators

  • 5.3 Possible outcomes of investigations

  • 5.4 Impact of ethical breaches

6

Section 6: Reflection, Insight & Remediation

  • 6.1 Self-awareness as the foundation of ethical practice

  • 6.2 Reflective practice as expected by regulators

  • 6.3 Demonstrating insight when standards are questioned

  • 6.4 Remediation: CPD, supervision, mentorship, counselling, or practice changes

  • 6.5 How reflection and remediation support public protection and professional growth