I am a healthcare ethics educator, nursing ethicist, and clinical ethicist with academic degrees in applied ethics, medical education, and biomedical ethics. My professional journey combines hands-on bedside clinical practice, academic teaching, ethics consultation, and policy work in healthcare ethics.

Before transitioning into academia and clinical ethics, I accumulated twelve years of clinical experience as a trained nurse and nurse anaesthetist. These years of practical work in various healthcare settings informed my understanding of ethical challenges in everyday care and shaped my commitment to integrating ethical reflection into clinical practice. From 1996 to 2014, I contributed to national ethics committees in Switzerland, including serving on the Ethics Committee of the Swiss Nurses’ Association, the Central Ethics Committee of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMW), and the Cantonal Research Ethics Committee of Northwestern Switzerland. These roles allowed me to engage in ethical policymaking at the intersection of professional nursing practice, medical sciences, and research ethics.

I also serve as Associate Editor of the journal Nursing Ethics. This editorial role provides me with a unique vantage point on contemporary debates in nursing ethics, fostering an ongoing dialogue between research, practice, and publication ethics.

In parallel, since 2014, I am working as a clinical ethicist at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), a position affiliated with the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine (IBME), where I also serve on the PhD Commission.

Since 2011, I have been a Professor at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), where I am responsible for the content of bachelor's program in nursing science and teach ethics at both undergraduate and graduate levels. In my teaching , I strive to connect ethical theory and concepts with clinical realities, encouraging students to engage in critical reflection and to recognize ethical dimensions in their everyday work.

My academic focus lies in the empirical and philosophical study of ethics in healthcare, with a special emphasis on clinical and nursing ethics. I am particularly interested in how ethical issues emerge in everyday care situations and how ethical reflection can contribute to improving practice. Additionally, my research addresses the ethical implications of moral distress and moral resilience among healthcare professionals, and investigates the role of ethics support structures in clinical environments. These topics reflect my overarching concern of “bringing ethics to people”—promoting ethical awareness and reflection directly within the contexts where care is delivered.

A central theme in my work is the belief that ethical reflection should not remain abstract or academic but should actively inform and enhance the quality of care. I view ethics as a practical tool to strengthen critical reflexivity, improve decision-making, and uphold the dignity of patients, especially for those who are cognitively or socially vulnerable. Through my combined experience in clinical practice, academic teaching, ethics consultation, and policy development, I aim to foster ethically grounded and person-centered care practices. My work seeks to bridge the gap between ethical theory and healthcare practice, ensuring that ethical reflection remains a vital part of clinical routines and organizational culture.

ZORA