Academic Offerings

Overview

The truly important ethical issues in today's health care are as likely to arise in the boardroom as the clinic. Professionals in the health care industry are faced with a range of complex issues and ethical dilemmas related to specific clinical situations, the conduct of health care organizations, and the demands of a professional role.

Courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels present a variety of classical and contemporary ethical perspectives along with models for ethical decision-making. Students explore a wide range of contemporary issues in bioethics, including those occurring at the beginning and end of life, dilemmas in everyday practice, and the many questions surrounding emerging health care technologies. They also consider ethical dilemmas that organizations often face including conflict of interest and public accountability.

Finally, students consider many of the challenges inherent in the health care policy arena including issues of social justice and the realities of limited health care resources. Students develop an enhanced sensitivity to the role of social, cultural, and faith-based influences in the delivery of health care.

Course Descriptions

Health Care Ethics Course Descriptions

Teaching Objectives

There are two primary teaching objectives in all undergraduate and graduate courses in health care ethics. The first objective is to stimulate students to reflect deeply on their individual personal and professional moral and ethical foundations through both private reflection and open, respectful dialogue on issues ranging from controversial topics in bioethics and health care policy, to organizational ethics, to "ethics of the ordinary" in everyday professional practice. The second objective is to develop the student's confidence in his or her ability to analyze and defend a well reasoned position that encourages and empowers principled action within the dual contexts of professional practice and leadership. Graduate courses extend these teaching objectives to include the ability to critically evaluate and synthesize lay interpretations and scholarly analyses of ethical issues and cases, as well as a stronger emphasis on moral agency in professional leadership roles.

Teaching Philosophy

The ideal course in health care ethics combines theoretical foundations with a rigorous process of analysis and an emphasis on practical application in personal and professional contexts. Theoretical foundations should include a balanced presentation of classical and contemporary approaches to ethical theory, common ethical principles, significant moral concepts, and the views of faith-based traditions with particular attention to Catholic moral tradition and social teaching consistent with the Catholic mission of the University. These theoretical foundations provide a language and structure through which ethical analysis can take place. The emphasis on practical application should facilitate the student's acceptance of his or her role and responsibility as a moral agent.

Role of Faculty

In light of our teaching objectives and philosophy, the role of the faculty instructor is to:

Create an open, trusting and mutually respectful atmosphere that facilitates the exploration of personal positions with respect to highly sensitive topics and case scenarios.
Introduce students to a rigorous and highly disciplined framework for ethical decision-making with opportunities to apply the decision framework to complex topics and cases in both individual and group decision processes.
Present the basic assumptions of a specified range of ethical theories, principles and related concepts and traditions as moral lenses through which multiple ethical views and questions can be raised in the process of ethical analysis and dialogue.
Introduce critical foundational concepts such as the sanctity of life, the definition of personhood, the mastery of nature, quality of life and the meaning of suffering, and the balance of individual liberty with the interests of the common good, and illustrate the importance of formulating a reasoned stance on these conceptual points when conducting ethical analysis and dialogue.
Employ a variety of methods for deepening a student's understanding and appreciation for the unique contributions of each ethical perspective and concept, including highly Socratic forms of dialogue and instructor feedback, oral and written case studies, small group discussions, position papers, and ethical decision making simulation exercises.
Provide guidance and support as students confront personal ethical lapses and inconsistencies, develop insight into personal moral foundations and strengths, and become willing and thoughtful participants in the critical analysis of ethical dilemmas in health care.

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