Clinical Ethics Fellow

We are more than a health system. We are a belief system. We believe wellness and sickness are both part of a lifelong partnership, and that everyone could use an expert guide. We work hard, care deeply and reach further to help people uncover their own power to be healthy. We inspire hope. We learn, grow, and achieve more – in our careers and in our communities.

Job Description Summary:

This position is designed as a two-year fellowship that will prepare persons for the complex and challenging work of a Clinical Ethicist (job code 8118). As part of this training program, fellows will be required to master advanced aspects of applied ethical theory, law, clinical practice, ethics consultation, conflict management and resolution, effective communication and interprofessional collaboration. The structure of the fellowship requires persons in this role to build upon the graduate work they have completed – or are completing – in ethics and couple that theoretical framework in an action/reflection format. As such, fellows will be required to actively participate in educational work, as well as increasing levels of involvement in clinical ethics consultation, organizational ethics support, and provision of clinical ethics education to other disciplines, such as chaplains, nurses, social workers, and physician trainees.

Responsibilities And Duties:

Fellows will work under the direction of the System Director of Clinical Ethics, along with the staff Clinical Ethicists, who will provide the educational foundation to the Fellow, as well as oversight of the clinical work of the Fellow.  Fellows will begin the program with much greater emphasis on the theoretical framework that guides clinical ethics activities, with exposure to care provision to familiarize those coming to the profession with less clinical experience.  As the fellow progresses through the curriculum, they will have increasing direct involvement with clinical staff facing the ethical dilemmas of care provision under the oversight of the System Director and Clinical Ethicists.
As Fellows gain experience and knowledge, they will begin to provide basic clinical ethics education to other disciplines and be able to independently provide ethics consultation coverage across the system. The final goal of the program will be to graduate Fellows who are able to sit for professional exams and be competitive candidates for successful employment in clinical ethics roles across the country.

25% Education: Fellows will receive significant education in the application of ethics theory, as well as legal/regulatory, and clinical practice through several different mechanisms, including lectures, assigned readings, interdisciplinary rotations, case studies, and supervision/mentoring.

60% Consultation: Fellows will provide consultative services to clinical providers. These consultations will be performed with oversight by staff Ethicists and Fellowship faculty, with oversight decreasing over the course of Fellowship as Fellows demonstrate suitable skills and mastery of relevant knowledge and information.

15% Research and Publication: Fellows will be responsible for researching various issues over the course of the fellowship and producing at least one article on a topic of their choosing for submission to a journal for consideration for publication.

The major duties, responsibilities and listed above are not intended to be all-inclusive of the duties, responsibilities and to be performed by employees in this job. Employees are expected to all perform other duties as requested by supervisor.

As a High Reliability Organization (HRO), responsibilities require focus on safety, quality and efficiency in performing job duties.  

The job profile provides an overview of responsibilities and duties and is not intended to be an exhaustive list and is subject to change at any time.

Minimum Qualifications:

Master's Degree: Bioethics (Required)

Additional Job Description:

SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE

Master’s degree or an equivalent is required in a field directly related to clinical ethics (bioethics).  Knowledge of ethical theory, legal foundations, and regulatory environment related to clinical ethics in a medical setting