2025 National Paediatric Bioethics Conference: How can we make better ethical decisions in practice?

In this episode of Essential Ethics, recorded at the 2025 National Paediatric Bioethics Conference, Associate Professor Rosalind McDougall explores how we can make better ethical decisions in clinical practice. Drawing on a real case, she examines the strengths and limitations of ethical theory in time-pressured healthcare settings and argues for the importance of practical wisdom, collaboration, and decision-making. Central to her presentation is the concept of epistemic humility—an openness to learning from others and recognising the limits of one’s own knowledge—as a key ingredient for effective clinical ethics deliberation.