Continuing Professional Development: Ethical issues in paramedic practice
Abstract
Overview
This CPD module will focus on some of the key ethical issues in relation to paramedic practice and prehospital care. Currently, few published research or evidence-based texts exist, specifically in relation to prehospital care. There are a numbers of texts in other areas, such as nursing and medicine, but not exclusively in relation to paramedics. This situation will hopefully alter over time, so this module attempts to present the four ethical contexts common in other health disciplines and discuss them in relation to paramedic practice.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this module you will be able:
• To provide an overview of the four key ethical principles that underpin current clinical practice in the UK
• To explore these four ethical principles in relation to specific prehospital and clinical issues
• To encourage the practitioner to reflect on their own ethical practice
• To begin to develop the ability to share, discuss and debate the four ethical principles with colleagues and friends, in relation to your own clinical practice