Dialogue with the Ethicist

May 20, 2026

The goal of this activity is to offer an interdisciplinary review and analysis of ethically complex cases in pediatric acute care. The audience will gain a clearer understanding of the role and limits of parental authority, patient autonomy, and navigating uncertainty in medically and ethically complex situations.

No financial nor in-kind commercial support was received for this educational activity.

Target Audience

  • Nurses
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Physicians
  • Physician Assistants
  • Psychologists
  • Social Workers

Learning Objectives

  1. Compare and contrast the ethical frameworks governing disclosure and decision-making in pediatric versus adult oncology patients, using the presented cases to illustrate how patient age influences clinical and ethical obligations.
  2. Analyze the ethical tensions that arise when parental requests for prognostic withholding conflict with patient autonomy, honesty, and the right to informed participation in end-of-life care.
  3. Evaluate the roles of authority, deception, and disclosure in adolescent and young adult oncology cases, and apply relevant ethical principles to guide clinical decision-making in similar real-world scenarios.
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    Children’s National Hospital designates this Live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.00 ANCC
    Children’s National Hospital will provide 1.00 Nursing Contact Hours for this Live activity.
  • 1.00 APA
    Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. All confirmed participants will earn 1.00 CE credits upon successful completion of the learning event and evaluation.
  • 1.00 ASWB
    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Children’s National Hospital is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 continuing education credits.
    • 1.00 General
  • 1.00 Participation
    Successful completion of this continuing education activity.
Course opens: 
05/20/2026
Course expires: 
07/19/2026
Event starts: 
05/20/2026 - 1:00pm EDT
Event ends: 
05/20/2026 - 3:00pm EDT
Add to calendar: 
Rating: 
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Bear Vision Center
United States
Course Director(s)

Vanessa Madrigal, MD MSCE HEC-C

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.
Speaker(s)

Erica Salter, PhD, HEC-C

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

In support of improving patient care, Children's National Hospital is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. Children’s National Hospital Accreditation Provider #4008362.

IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 1.0 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.

Nurse: Children’s National Hospital designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 live ANCC contact hour(s).

Physician: Children’s National Hospital designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TMfor physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Psychology: Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. All confirmed participants will earn 1.0 CE credit(s) (Instructional Level, Intermediate Learning) upon successful completion of the learning event and evaluation.

Social Work: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Children’s National Hospital is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 general continuing education credit(s).

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    Children’s National Hospital designates this Live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.00 ANCC
    Children’s National Hospital will provide 1.00 Nursing Contact Hours for this Live activity.
  • 1.00 APA
    Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. All confirmed participants will earn 1.00 CE credits upon successful completion of the learning event and evaluation.
  • 1.00 ASWB
    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Children’s National Hospital is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 continuing education credits.
    • 1.00 General
  • 1.00 Participation
    Successful completion of this continuing education activity.
Please login or register to take this course.

Please click the red “Take Course” button to begin. This will guide you through the steps needed to receive your CE certificate. You will only be able to complete these steps after you have attended the education session and submitted the attendance code.