Job Function: 01. Quality of Care: Aids in the resolution of ethical dilemmas, particularly as identified by practicing nurses and generally identified by others involved in the care of the patient. Advocates to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient, family members, and clinical personnel and supports policies and services that advocate for patient rights and optimal healthcare environments. Uses expert clinical, philosophical, and theoretical knowledge and insight related to the patient/family understanding to identify ethical conflict and help initiate a plan of action in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team.

Job Function: 02. Education: Involved in creating and sustaining programs in ethics and nursing ethics education with the goal of improving the capacity of nurses to manage the ethical issues inherent in the care of patients in a contemporary, technology-driven health care system. Develops and provides educational programs and conferences related to ethics for staff, other departments, and the community. Supports socialization, education, and training of novice nurse ethicists by serving as a preceptor, role model, and mentor. Coordinates/participates in community education programs. Organizes and conducts supportive counseling and education for patient and family groups. Acts as a resource to affiliating clinical programs. Pursues and participates in formal and independent learning activities to enhance knowledge, clinical competency, and professional development.

Job Function: 03. Administration: Participates in performance improvement activities related to the role of a nurse ethicist and the patient population requiring an ethics consult. Assists in the development and implementation of hospital-wide goals related to nursing and patient/family support. Promotes recruitment and retention by providing staff and student guidance, support, and professional development. Promotes a positive hospital image through participation in community programs, professional programs, networking in a professional organization, and university affiliation. Assists and participates in preparing for JC, DOH & other regulatory agency visits. Assists with implementing policies, guidelines, and recommendations of the regulatory bodies. 

Job Function: 04. Individual Practice Evaluation: Uses critical, reflective thinking to evaluate one’s professional performance and to enhance one’s ethical practice-enabling decisions which are based on professional, ethical, and moral principles rather than on personal biases or preferences. Ensures self-evaluation is according to the standards of the appropriate professional and regulatory bodies and takes action to improve practice. Seeks feedback regarding own practice and role performance from peers, professional colleagues, patients, family members, and other team members. Assists in developing and evaluating the performance criteria for Nurse Ethicists within the organization and healthcare environment.

Job Function: 05. Ethics: Fosters the establishment of an ethical environment that supports the rights of all participants. Contributes to the resolution of ethical dilemmas. Preserves and protects patient autonomy and maintains confidentiality. Manages bioethics-related issues at their designated hospital. Provides expert analysis on ethical issues related to patient care. Responsible for receiving and conducting all requests for ethics consultations, executing consultations, and following up with patient cases after referral. Advises on ethics inquiries from physicians, staff, patients, and families.

Educates healthcare providers on best practices for dealing with ethical conflicts in patient care. Educates and trains members of the hospital ethics committees. Provides expertise and develops ethics-related policies and assists with the implementation of policies at designated hospitals. Engages in preventive ethics to proactively deal with conflicts and resolution. Participates in ethics rounds and lectures at appropriate AHS educational events. Serves as a mentor and role model by participating in the resolution of ethical and clinical dilemmas.

Job Function: 06. Research: Critically evaluates existing practice based on current research findings and integrates changes into practice. Collaborates with senior investigators and interdisciplinary team members in conducting research relevant to practice. Assesses and identifies relevant researchable clinical problems with staff. Utilizes the research process to enhance the environment of care. Provides for dissemination of research developments in the field of specialization. Promotes evidence-based practice in the clinical and professional environment.

Job Function: 07. Resource Utilization: Evaluates factors related to safety, effectiveness, availability, and cost to design and implement best practices. Facilitates access for patients and family members to appropriate healthcare services. Serves as a resource to various populations to influence ethical obligations of the nursing profession based on autonomy, benefice justice, and non-maleficence in healthcare delivery and the formation of ethical healthcare policy.

Job Function: 08. Collegiality: Identifies and participates in opportunities to share skills, knowledge, and strategies for patient advocacy and system improvement with colleagues and other healthcare providers. Promotes a learning environment that enables clinical team members and other healthcare personnel to make optimal contributions and systems to function effectively. Participates in professional organizations to address issues of concern in meeting patient care needs and improving professional practice and system effectiveness.

Job Function: 09. Collaboration: Collaborates with other disciplines in consultation, teaching, patient advocacy, and research activities to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient. Utilizes a professional governance forum to provide support for enhancing education, practice & quality improvement. Collaborates with physicians, specialists, and other designated care providers to optimize patient care environment. Collaborates with the nursing and medical staff education departments and other advanced practice clinicians to develop and implement educational programs about ethics such as Schwartz rounds and didactic teaching related to newly hired health professionals. 

Other Tasks Which May be Required:

Physical Requirements: As defined by Occupation Safety/OMS