By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assignment criteria:

• Competency 1: Articulate ethical issues in health care.
  • Articulate the basic principles of health care ethics.
• Competency 3: Demonstrate sound ethical judgments in health care.
  • Apply the basic principles of health care ethics to concrete examples.
  • Demonstrate sound ethical thinking about the basic principles of health care ethics.
• Competency 4: Demonstrate effective communication related to ethics and health care.
  • Exhibit proficiency in clear and effective academic writing skills.
  • Summarize what was learned.

You began this project with Stage A, where you posted an inventory of moral principles in the second discussion in Unit 2. Be sure to review the course project information for further details. .For your course project, draw from independent research to describe in your own words the relationships and conflicts among these principles exemplified by the following issues in health care ethics:

• Confidentiality of health care information.
• Research ethics and informed consent.
• Reproductive control and abortion.
• Ethical issues surrounding genetic control.
• Life support and euthanasia.
• Scarcity of medical resources.
• AIDS and HIV.

Recall that the moral principles such as autonomy, justice, and beneficence (which you have been applying throughout the course) are guides that health care workers can use to make their choices more rational and objective when dealing with morally complex situations. These principles can also be used to help settle disagreement in a rational way. Further Guidance for Your Course Project PaperFor Stage B of this project, your goal for the paper is two-fold:

• Describe briefly the major issues in health care ethics (listed above), explaining what makes cases involving each issue morally challenging.
• Integrate each issue with discussions of the moral principle or principles you believe are most relevant. Which principles are most relevant to reaching cogent moral decisions or settling moral disagreements in cases involving the issue at hand? In regard to some issues, principles such as autonomy and beneficence may come into conflict. When they do, discuss reasons one could argue for giving greater weight to one principle over others.

Remember to support with references your accounts of the issues and principles. Go beyond your text when looking for clarification to find more information about the issues or the ethical principles and their applications. Strive for a minimum of two outside sources. Doing so can definitely strengthen a paper. Submit your personal reflection paper to the assignment area at the end of this unit. Submission RequirementsYour paper should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message. Be sure to weave and cite the resources throughout the paper.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting.
• Number of resources: Minimum of two outside sources.
• Length: 6–8 typed, double-spaced pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.