Ethical Principles
A set of moral principles and standards that guide what is considered right and wrong, shaping our decisions and actions
What is Ethics?
The strength to act on one’s ethical values and principles, even in the face of fear, adversity, or opposition from others
What is moral courage?
Emotional or moral suffering that occurs when a clinician knows the ethically appropriate action to take but is constrained from acting due to institutional, legal, or other barriers
What is moral distress?
The field of study and professional practice concerned with ethical issues related to health care guiding decisions and actions in clinical contexts
What is Bioethics or Clinical Ethics?
Respecting an individual’s right to make their own informed decisions about their care
What is respect for Autonomy?
CHCO healthcare roles that serve as advocates and role models for creating a proactive ethical culture
What are Ethics Liaisons?
Self-care, self-awareness, reflection, accepting limitations, foster open communication, MDR's, staff well-being, empowerment
What are examples of Moral Distress mitigation?
A team or program that provides ethics consults, facilitates Moral Distress Rounds (MDRs), and offers education to support ethical decision-making and promote an ethical culture within healthcare settings
What is the Clinical Ethics Service?
Acting in ways that promote the well-being and best interests of others, supporting their health, safety, and overall good
What is Beneficence?
A process that helps reduce conflict between patients, families, and health care providers by facilitating communication, clarifying values, and supporting ethically sound decision-making
What is an Ethics consultation?
The ability to preserve or restore integrity and maintain ethical practice when facing moral adversity, ethical challenges, or situations of moral distress
What is moral resilience?
A facilitated, structured forum where healthcare staff come together to provide a safe space to reflect on ethical challenges, share experiences, support solutions, and explore strategies to strengthen resilience
What is a Moral distress round?
The duty to avoid causing harm to others; often summarized as “do no harm”
What is Non-maleficence?
The ability to understand and share the feelings or experiences of another person by seeing the situation from their perspective
What is empathy?
Three examples of moral distress
What are inadequate staffing, resource constraints, and end of life care?
A complex situation in which there are conflicting moral values or principles, making it challenging to determine the ethically “right” course of action
What is an Ethical dilemma?
Ensuring fairness in care and decision-making, including the equitable distribution of resources, responsibilities, and treatment
What is Justice?
Incorporating the patient’s and family’s beliefs, values, and goals into care planning and decision-making to ensure care aligns with what matters most to them
What is family and shared-decision making?
The lingering painful feelings, emotional distress, or ethical tension that remain after a morally distressing situation, often accumulating over time if unresolved
What is moral residue?
Widely used ethical standard or framework in pediatric decision-making
What is best interest standard, harm principle, zone of parental discretion, constrained parental autonomy?