Ethical Leadership in Nursing Education
Ethical Leadership in Nursing Education
Nurse leadership demands an ethical responsibility to both self and others. When nurse educators assume executive leadership roles, they also assume the ethical responsibilities and burdens associated with these positions. Ethical dilemmas faced by top leaders are typically complex, requiring strong skills in the areas of situational assessment, problem solving, and reflection. This module reviews the ethical obligations of academic nursing leaders and considers the harm, both organizational and personal, that unethical leaders might cause, including poor morale, organizational ineffectiveness, colleague distrust, and lack of commitment to ethical engagement.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Explain why ethical leadership is important to organizational success.
- Discuss the significance of professional values for deans and program directors.
- Identify the characteristics of an ethical dean, director, or chair.
Author: Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN and Michael J. Deem, PhD
Experts Interviewed:
- Jennifer Lingler, PhD, MA, CRNP, FAAN
- Felicia Stokes, JD, MA, RN
- Angela Knackstedt, BSN, RN-BC
Leadership Development Modules
Sharpen your leadership skills using this on-demand series designed exclusively for nursing deans, faculty, and graduate students. Modules will enrich your understanding of key principles and practices needed for leaders to succeed in the academic arena. AACN has developed this series in conjunction with seasoned experts who offer guidance and practical strategies on how to navigate real-world challenges and amplify your effectiveness. Content is designed to stimulate fresh thinking and provide solutions to some of your most pressing challenges. This resource was developed for nursing professionals at all levels, including those aspiring to leadership roles.
Author: Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, ANEF, FAAN
Dean and Professor, Duquesne University
Dr. Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow joined the School of Nursing as Dean and Professor in August 2012. Dr. Glasgow previously served as Associate Dean for Nursing, Undergraduate Health Professions, and Continuing Education and Chair of Undergraduate Programs at Drexel University. She completed a fellowship at Bryn Mawr College and HERS, Mid-America Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration. Dr. Glasgow was a Trustee of Princeton HealthCare System and was selected as a 2009 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow.
As dean, under her leadership, enrollment and NCLEX-RN scores increased, and research and scholarship has significantly expanded. The School is recognized as a national leader in nursing education, emphasizing social justice, digital technologies, and graduates with strong ethical reasoning skills. Recently, she led the development of the first dual undergraduate Biomedical Engineering and Nursing Program in the country, and a PhD in Nursing Ethics.
Dr. Glasgow is an innovator in nursing and health professions both nationally and internationally. At Drexel, she created a BSN Co-op Program, BSN Accelerated Career Entry Program, Pathway to Health Professions Program, and other forward-thinking educational programs. She also advanced online pedagogy developing one of the largest online nursing programs in the country. She previously served as Associate Editor for Oncology Nursing Forum responsible for the Leadership and Professional Development Feature. She is the co-author of three books, two of which have won the American Journal of Nursing Book-of-the-Year Award, first place. She was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and as an NLN Academy of Nursing Education Fellow. She has been honored with the Villanova University College of Nursing Alumni Medallion for Distinguished Contribution to Nursing Education and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Gwynedd-Mercy University. Recently, she served on the Health Service Executive and National Nursing and Midwifery Quality-Care Metrics Project Team to develop quality metrics for the country of Ireland.
Expert: Michael J. Deem, PhD
Dr. Michael Deem joined the Duquesne University faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2017, holding a joint appointment in the School of Nursing and the Center for Healthcare Ethics. His main areas of research and publication are bioethics, philosophy of science, and public health ethics.Dr. Deem completed a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame in 2015 and a M.A. in Philosophy from Texas A&M University in 2009. He then served as the 2015-16 Pediatric Ethics and Genomics Fellow at Children's Mercy Hospital, where he worked with the Center for Bioethics and Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine on a NIH-funded study of the clinical use of rapid whole-genome sequencing in the neonatal intensive care unit. Additionally, through the Children's Mercy Division of Clinical Genetics he accrued over 100 observation hours in genetic counseling at Children's Mercy Hospital, Midwest Perinatal Associates, and The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
Expert: Angie Knackstedt, BSN, RN-BC
Ms. Knackstedt is the Program Manager for Health Literacy & Nursing Bioethics at Children's Mercy Kansas City. Her nursing career has focused on nursing professional staff development, bioethics, health literacy, pediatric oncology, injury prevention and advocacy. She is a faculty member of the Children’s Mercy Bioethics Center, Co-Director of the Certificate in Pediatric Bioethics Program and Director of the program’s Nursing Leadership Program that works with nurses to develop or expand nursing ethics at their institutions. She is a member of the Ethics Committee. She serves as co-chair of the Children’s Mercy Nursing Ethics Forum (NEF) which is the voice of nursing in ethics throughout the organization, and is a unique forum created in 1988 to provide resources and support for nursing staff at Children's Mercy and to assist nurses in dealing with ethical issues. She is a member of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities, in which she is currently the board chair of the Nursing Affinity Group and participates in the R.A.C.E. and Pediatric Ethics Affinity Groups. She also manages Children’s Mercy health literacy efforts through her work with the Office of Equity and Diversity. Her certification is in Nursing Professional Staff Development and she continues to be a Nurse Planner for many continuing education programs for her organization and with community partners. Her work with community organizations she has expanded her work and interest in the areas of health policy ethics, health equity, social determinants of health and cultural humility.
Expert: Jennifer Hagerty Lingler, PHD, MA, CRNP, FAAN
Dr. Lingler’s research focuses on provider-patient communication, health behaviors, and psychosocial and ethical implications of late-life cognitive impairment. Over the past 20 years, her research has been supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation, Brookdale Foundation, Neurosciences Nursing Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, National Institute on Aging and National Institute for Nursing Research. Dr. Lingler leads the School of Nursing’s Hartford Center for Gerontological Nursing Research. She also leads the Outreach, Recruitment and Education Core at the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer Disease Research Center. Her active studies as PI include an investigation of the impact of disclosing amyloid imaging results in mild cognitive impairment and a study of recruitment innovations to enhance diversity in research on Alzheimer’s disease.
Expert: Liz Stokes JD, MA, RN
Liz Stokes JD, MA, RN, is the Director of the American Nurses Association Center for Ethics and Human Rights. She completed her BSN at the University of Virginia and worked several years as a critical care nurse. Liz received her Juris Doctor (law) from the University of Richmond and worked as a Consultant for the D.C. Board of Nursing interpreting and conferring professional ethics provisions in nursing. She completed her Masters in Bioethics from Loyola University Chicago. As a nurse-attorney-bioethicist, she has research and policy development in professional nursing ethics, codes of ethics, assisted suicide, medical marijuana, LGBTQ+ populations, nonpunitive treatment of pregnant women, expedited partner therapy, posthumous assisted reproduction, moral distress in health care, and nursing advocacy on social justice issues such as the abolishment of the death penalty and nursing obligations to provide nondiscriminatory care. Liz is published in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Journal of Nursing Regulation, Nursing Outlook and Annual Review of Nursing Research. Liz has had media interviews with CNN, Huffington Post, Bloomberg Politics, and D.C. based ABC affiliate WJLA. Liz also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry and is an active volunteer with the District of Columbia Bar Association. Liz is currently an American Academy of Nursing Jonas Health Policy Scholar and recipient of the Becker’s Hospital Review Rising Stars in Healthcare Award.
Pricing and Continuing Education
$75.00
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. The entire module and assessment must be completed to earn contact hours. This module is approve 3 Nursing Continuing Professional Development Hours.