Certificate Program in

PEDIATRIC BIOETHICS

Bioethical decision-making in pediatrics diverges from similar decisions in other medical domains because the young child is not an autonomous decision-maker, while the teen is developing—and should be encouraged to develop—autonomy and decisional capacity. Thus, the balance between autonomy and beneficence is fundamentally different in pediatrics than in adult medicine. While ethical dilemmas that reflect these fundamental issues are common, many pediatric physician and nursing training programs do not delve into the issues or offer specific training about how to deal with borderline cases.

Engaging Pediatric Health Professionals in Interactive Online Ethics Education. Plantz et al. Hastings Cent Rep. 2014 Nov-Dec; 44(6):15-20. Doe: 10.1002/hast.383. Abstract available: http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/HCR/Detail.aspx?id=7181.

Our program serves practicing pediatric health professionals Children’s Mercy Kansas City offers the only Pediatric Bioethics Certificate Course in the world. The course’s influence spans the globe, reaching students from various professional disciplines from the Midwest to the Middle East. They are doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, lawyers, psychologists, counselors and health care administrators practicing in pediatrics. Students graduate with a core knowledge of pediatric clinical ethics, research ethics, health law, equity and policy, focusing exclusively on pediatrics.

The program features: • rich mix of faculty expertise • current readings, webinars and other multimedia• multidisciplinary faculty and participants• begins and ends with an intensive, on-site, three-day session• interactive e-learning• convenient—on your time, your computer or mobile device.

Here are some papers and posters that our students have published or presented:

• Ethical Issues in Pediatric Face Transplantation. Benghiac AG et al. Pediatr Transplant. 2017.

• Ethical Considerations for Care of the Child Undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. Carter MA. AORN J. 2017.

• Refusal of Treatment of Childhood Cancer: A Systematic Review. Caruso Brown AE et al. Pediatrics. 2017.

• A Safer Place. Conrad J. Perspect Biol Med. 2016.

• Ethics Rounds: Physician-Nurse Interactions in Critical Care. Khowaja-Punjwani S, Smardo C, Hendricks M, Lantos J. Pediatrics. 2017.

• Values-Based Shared Decision-Making in the Antenatal Period. Kukora SK et al. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2018.

• Treatment of the Preterm—Who Should Make the Decision? Syltern J. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2016.

Each student completes a mentored project during the study year

Building programs back home Many students have assumed leadership roles in bioethics at their home institutions since completing the program. Some have become chairs of ethics committees. Others have developed new programs in ethics education. We have worked on location with pediatricians in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Bangalore, Bhopal, and Belgaum in India, and Lahore in Pakistan to develop programs in pediatric bioethics. Students say that the program improved their ethics consultation skills.

We have developed a targeted program to train nurses to be leaders in nursing bioethics in their hospitals and universities. The program provides a financial stipend to enroll in the Certificate Program and then collaborate with our nurse ethicist to develop or enhance nursing-related programs and efforts in their own institutions.

For more information visit: childrensmercy.org/bioethics/

An international certificate program in Pediatric BioethicsOur students come from all over

the world–including Australia,

Brazil, Canada (4), Colombia,

Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Germany,

Guatemala, Iceland, India (6),

Italy, Malawi, Malaysia (6),

Mexico (4), Nigeria (2), Norway

(4), Pakistan (4), Poland,

Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia,

South Africa, Turkey, Uganda (3)

and the United States (168).

Children’s Mercy Certi�cate Program in Pediatric Bioethics - Student Origin

RomaniaPakistan UgandaSerbia United StatesSaudi ArabiaPoland TurkeySouth Africa

MalaysiaMalawiIndia Mexico NorwayIcelandGuatemala NigeriaItaly

Costa RicaColombiaAustralia GermanyEthiopiaBrazil Canada

Children’s Mercy Certi�cate Program in Pediatric Bioethics - Student Origin

RomaniaPakistan UgandaSerbia United StatesSaudi ArabiaPoland TurkeySouth Africa

MalaysiaMalawiIndia Mexico NorwayIcelandGuatemala NigeriaItaly

Costa RicaColombiaAustralia GermanyEthiopiaBrazil Canada

Brian S. Carter, MD Co-Director, Certificate Program in Pediatric Bioethics; Sirridge Professor of Medical Humanities & Bioethics, Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology & Fetal Health), University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Jeremy Garrett, PhD Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Adjunct Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Angie Knackstedt, RN-BC, BSNCo-Director, Certificate Program in Pediatric Bioethics; Health Literacy and Clinical Bioethics Coordinator

Core Faculty and Staff

John D. Lantos, MD Director of Children’s Mercy Bioethics Center; Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Jennifer Pearl Office Manager, Children’s Mercy Bioethics Center

Vanessa S. Watkins, MPH, FACHE, CHESAdministrative Director, Certificate Program in Pediatric Bioethics; Bioethics Program Manager

Our faculty members are drawn from Children’s Mercy Kansas City and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The faculty includes specialists in neonatology, critical care, rehabilitation medicine, genetics, nursing, social work, law, health care administration and philosophy. The core faculty and staff of the program are:

To learn more about the Certificate Program in Pediatric Bioethics, or for an application, please visit childrensmercy.org/cmbc or email cmbc@cmh.edu.

To reach us by phone, please call (816) 701-5284.

Follow us @CMBioethics