The Nurse Ethicist: An Emerging Role in Advanced Practice

The role of the advanced practice registered nurse as a clinical ethicist/consultant is both important and necessary in today's health care environment. The established role of the advanced practice registered nurse as a skilled clinician, consultant, educator, leader, and researcher more than qualifies one for such. The terms nurse ethicist and clinical ethicist or bioethics consultant may be used interchangeably to define the role.