Sustaining the Self in Clinical Ethics: Building Institutional and Peer Support for Long-Term Engagement

Abstract: Clinical ethicists routinely engage with cases of profound suffering, moral distress, and systemic injustice. While the emotional toll on clinicians is well documented, little attention has been given to the impact on ethicists. This panel explores how secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue affect ethicists across different career stages and examines how institutional structures can better support their well-being. The multi-disciplinary panel including clinical ethics professionals and administrators will share perspectives from their practice at health systems located across different regions of the United States.

The first panelist, a bioethics service and fellowship director, will discuss the emotional toll of ethics consultation focusing on the challenges of bearing witness to suffering, mediating moral distress, and managing the psychological weight of ethically complex cases.

The second panelist, an early-career ethicist, will share their experience transitioning from fellowship to independent practice, reflecting on the emotional realities of the work.

The third panelist, an experienced senior ethicist, will describe how the emotional impact of the work shifts over time describing strategies that help sustain engagement and compassion, as well as the challenges that continue to surface, offering insight into practices that foster long-term efficacy in the field.

The last panelist, a system-wide bioethics administrator, will highlight methods to proactively mitigate burnout by establishing intentional structures that support staff, cultivating resilience, leveraging institutional resources, and fostering a culture for sustainable practice that prioritizes well-being without compromising professional responsibilities.

Interdisciplinary approaches including trauma-informed practices, narrative ethics, and structured peer support models will be discussed.

Keywords: Clinical Ethics, Trauma, Burnout