Ellen M. Robinson RN, PhD, HEC-C, FAAN

Biosketch

Ellen M. Robinson RN PhD, HEC-C is a graduate of the William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, receiving her Masters in Cardiovascular Nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in 1983, and her PhD in nursing with a focus on nursing ethics, in 1997. In 1998, Dr. Robinson completed the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics medical ethics fellowship after which she transitioned into the role of Nurse Ethicist at MGH. In her role as nurse ethicist, Ellen provides ethics consultation to health professionals, patients and families at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has served on the MGH Optimum Care Committee since 1993 and as co-chair of the committee since 2007. Dr. Robinson also serves on the MGH Hospital for Children Pediatric Bioethics Committee and the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics Ethics Leadership Council and holds a faculty appointment in the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics. In 2010, Ellen received a three-year Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Nursing grant to develop and implement a Clinical Ethics Residency for Nurses, which educated and mentored clinical nurses and nurse leaders to serve on ethics committees, facilitate ethics discussions and learn the process of ethics consultation. Ellen has successfully co-directed a research program on ethics consultation that has contributed empirically to life sustaining treatment policy and clinical ethics literature in processes, outcomes and themes of ethics consultations. Dr. Robinson also served as chair of the Clinical Ethics Consultation Affairs committee (2019-2020) of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities. She also serves on the MGH HICs group, and actively participated in development of Crisis Standards of Care during the COVID pandemic as part of this work. The highlight of Ellen’s professional career for her has been continued active engagement and mentorship of clinical nurses and health professionals in direct care roles involved in ethically complex situations and in their career development.