92610 Law, Ethics and Accountability in Advanced Practice

This subject aims to provide a strong legal and ethical underpinning for advanced practice. Such an underpinning is critical, not only for the key aspects of patient safety and quality care, but also for the protection of the practitioner and the practitioner's employer. Students build on their existing understanding of the legal parameters for nursing practice to understand the heightened requirements as complexity of care and level of responsibility and accountability increases. Strategies are explored to identify and manage risk in order to ensure safe and accountable practice. Students are encouraged to identify the moral implications of an expanded domain of practice for such things as responsibilities for patients and clients, consequent differences in modes of interacting with patients and clients, interaction with other practitioners for patient care and research purposes, and intra-professional matters such as mentorship, development of practice knowledge, and leadership through advocacy for expanded practice.