2025 Colorado Healthcare Ethics Forum Annual Conference

Providing competent and efficient ethics consultation demonstrates a commitment to an ethical culture as well as a just culture and aligns with the standards for a high reliable organization. When patient care conferences, goals of care conversations, etc. create a space for a patient and the professional to authentically engage in shared decision-making, especially earlier in an in-patient hospitalization, adverse patient outcomes (e.g. excess length of stay) are mitigated. All too often, we hold numerous and, seemingly, redundant conversations with patients (or their decision-maker) that leave physicians and nurses feeling as though their professional expertise was disregarded as much as leave patients and families feeling as though their fears, hopes, wishes were disregarded. Indefinite boundaries are established, moral distress ensues, and teams call risk or legal for what can be done to remove a decision-maker or if we are obligated to honor a request. Often ethics consultants opine in the patient’s chart or with the requester but what is needed is a skilled, hospitable, and authentic conversation. This workshop will share some of the best practices acquired over numerous consult services and encourage participants to actively engage in role play using not-so-complex cases to practice these skills.  

Explain three classic understandings of ethics consultation requests. Identify possible conflict situations that can divide patients, families, physicians, and other caregivers, compromise patient care, and lead to moral distress. Articulate recommendations for responding to requests for nonbeneficial treatment.