What truly is a patient's right to self-determine? Can an advance directive take any form? This talk looked at the complexities of autonomous decision making and end of life through the eyes of a young adult expressing her wishes in the form of a tattoo.
Speaker(s)
Nneka Sederstrom, PhD, MPH, MA, FCCP, FCCM, is the director if the Clinical Ethics Department at the Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota as well as an affiliate faculty member of the Center for Bioethics. Originally from Florence Alabama, Dr. Sederstrom received her BA in Philosophy from the George Washington University in 2001. She began her career as a volunteer in the Center for Ethics at Medstar Washington Hospital Center that summer. She continued her academic career while working at the Center and received her MA in Philosophy in 2003. After beginning her PhD studies she was made Director of the Center for Ethics and Director of the Spiritual Care Department. She proceeded to hold these positions until she left to join Children’s Minnesota in March 2016. Her academic credentials include a PhD in Medical Sociology and MPH in Global Health Management. She is a member of several professional societies and holds a leadership position in ACCP, SCCM, ASBH, and ASCO. She is a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine. She is widely published in the field of Clinical Ethics and speaks regularly at national and international meetings.