Ethics Symposium
Courage and Care: Navigating Moral Distress
Friday March 28, 2025
In Person
Perley Health I 1750 Russell Rd, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z6
Course Description
This course will bring together interdisciplinary perspectives to explore moral distress in healthcare, examining its impact on providers, patients, and organizations. We will discuss the ramifications of repeated and prolonged moral distress, including burnout, emotional exhaustion, and increased intention to leave practice.
Participants will engage with real-world cases to identify sources of moral distress, focusing on the interplay between ethical challenges, systemic inequities, provider roles, and organizational dynamics. Through presentations and interactive discussions, the course fosters a deeper understanding of how moral distress affects healthcare environments and explores strategies to build moral resilience and promote a culture of ethical integrity that supports both individual and collective well-being.
Overall Learning Objectives
At the end of this symposium, participants should be able to:
- Define moral distress and distinguish it from burnout, noting its impact on healthcare providers, patients, and organizations
- Identify sources of moral distress, utilizing cases from various provider perspectives and healthcare environments.
- Develop skills for discussing morally distressing situations and learn debriefing techniques for ethical challenges.
- Explore strategies for building moral resilience and fostering a culture of ethical integrity to reduce moral distress.
Accreditation
This event is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by the University of Ottawa’s Office of Continuing Professional Development. You may claim a maximum of 5.25 hours (credits are automatically calculated).
This one-credit-per-hour Group Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by the University of Ottawa’s Office of Continuing Professional Development for up to 5.25 Mainpro+ credits.
Planning Committee
A special thank you to the members of the planning committee.
- Michael Kekewich
- Dr. Carlynne Kobewka
- Dr. Saumil Dholakia
- Bridie Hamilton
- Ali Ladak
- Sara Olivier
Questions? Please contact cpd@uottawa.ca
