Role and Facility Information
The Physician Ethicist is a 0.35 FTE expert resource with consultation, education, modelling, and engagement responsibilities within the Island Health Ethics program.
Reporting to the Executive Medical Director, Quality, Safety, Risk, Experience & Research, the Physician Ethicist is accountable for working collaboratively with the Manager, Ethics in aiding in developing, planning, and implementing ethics related services for Island Health.
Duties and Responsibilities
* Provide ongoing ethical practice leadership and consultation throughout Island Health's service programs.
* Engage physicians, staff, and volunteers in appropriate forums, providing ethics education both formally and informally.
* Conduct clinical and organizational consults, and model ethical practice.
Skills Required For This Position
Ethical Knowledge and Practice
* Training and/or experience in providing clinical ethics consultation, education, analysis.
* Understanding of bioethics history, various approaches that can be used for ethical discussion and problem solving from the bedside to the office of leadership.
Communication
* Demonstrates excellence in interpersonal relationships, written and verbal communication skills, and presentation and group facilitation skills.
Leadership
* Engages in and facilitates activities to ensure medical staff and staff work as a team to resolve ethical practice issues that arise.
* Liaises with appropriate Division Heads and Chiefs of Staff, and medical staff to identify system level resolutions for ethical dilemmas where required.
Cultural Humility and Cultural Safety
* Consistently demonstrates awareness and commitment to upholding Island Health's priority for improving health outcomes for Indigenous people by acting to eradicate Indigenous specific racism and create a trauma-informed, culturally safe health care environment.
Change Management
* Acts as an ethics 'champion' to engage and support medical staff and staff through ethics related change.
* Understands and supports culture change related to ethical practice where necessary.
Requirements
* Must be an actively practicing physician able to carry privileges at Island Health.
* Have a Master's degree or higher related to clinical ethics practice and experience applying that education in a learning health system.
* Use Island Health email address for work related to this position.
* Dedicate the requisite time to this position during Island Health regular working hours, or as agreed upon with the Executive Medical Director and Executive Director.
* Participate in orientation and training.
* Acts as a clinical ethical content expert and a resource for ethical decision-making in the clinical setting in collaboration with patients, families, residents, staff, physicians, and volunteers.
* Conduct and document ethics consultation in alignment with practice regulations and expectations (including professional regulatory, organizational, and program level).
* Lead or participate in ethics training sessions presented by the Island Health Ethics Program (i.e. Journal club, Ethics Lunch and Learns, etc.).