The Appropriate Role of a Clinical Ethics Consultant's Religious Worldview in Consultative Work: Nearly None

HEC Forum : an Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals' Ethical and Legal Issues
Janet Malek

Abstract

Ethical reasoning is an integral part of the work of a clinical ethics consultant (CEC). Ethical reasoning has a close relationship with an individual's beliefs and values, which, for religious adherents, are likely to be tightly connected with their spiritual perspectives. As a result, for individuals who identify with a religious tradition, the process of thinking through ethical questions is likely to be influenced by their religious worldview. The connection between ethical reasoning and one's spiritual perspective raises questions about the role that CECs' personal religious worldviews should play in their professional lives and their consultative work. This paper offers numerous arguments critiquing the inclusion of a consultant's own spiritual perspective in her work and has identified only limited circumstances under which such inclusion might be permissible. In particular, these arguments lead to the conclusion that a CEC's personal beliefs should never influence her ethical analysis or development of a recommendation. Further, religious appeals should not be used in communication during decision-making conversations other than to describe the patient or surrogate's stated perspective. There may be limited cases in whi...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 28, 2019·HEC Forum : an Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals' Ethical and Legal Issues·J Clint Parker
Jun 22, 2019·Journal of Medical Ethics·Jake Greenblum, Ryan K Hubbard
Jan 5, 2020·HEC Forum : an Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals' Ethical and Legal Issues·Abram Brummett
Aug 2, 2020·HEC Forum : an Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals' Ethical and Legal Issues·Mark J Cherry
Sep 29, 2019·HEC Forum : an Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals' Ethical and Legal Issues·Nick Colgrove, Kelly Kate Evans
May 27, 2021·The American Journal of Bioethics : AJOB·Mark J Cherry
Jun 23, 2021·HEC Forum : an Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals' Ethical and Legal Issues·Abram Brummett
Jan 8, 2022·HEC Forum : an Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals' Ethical and Legal Issues·Trevor M Bibler
Jan 16, 2022·HEC Forum : an Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals' Ethical and Legal Issues·Peter Bauck

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