The collective experience of moral distress: a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during COVID-19
Abstract Background Moral distress is reported to be a critical force contributing to intensifying rates of anxiety, depression and burnout experienced by healthcare workers. In this paper, we examine the moral dilemmas and ensuing distress personally and collectively experienced by healthcare worke...
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13010-024-00162-y |
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| author | Sophie Lewis Karen Willis Natasha Smallwood |
| author_facet | Sophie Lewis Karen Willis Natasha Smallwood |
| author_sort | Sophie Lewis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Moral distress is reported to be a critical force contributing to intensifying rates of anxiety, depression and burnout experienced by healthcare workers. In this paper, we examine the moral dilemmas and ensuing distress personally and collectively experienced by healthcare workers while caring for patients during the pandemic. Methods Data are drawn from free-text responses from a cross-sectional national online survey of Australian healthcare workers about the patient care challenges they faced. Results Three themes were derived from qualitative content analysis that illuminated the ways in which moral dilemmas and distress were relationally experienced by healthcare workers: (1) the moral ambiguity of how to care well for patients amid a rapidly changing work environment; (2) the distress of witnessing suffering shared between healthcare workers and patients; and (3) the distress of performing new forms of invisible work in the absence of institutional recognition. These findings reveal that moral distress was a strongly shared experience. Conclusions Findings advance understandings of moral distress as a relational experience, collectively felt, constituted, and experienced by healthcare workers. Considering how to harness collective solidarity in effectively responding to moral distress experienced across the frontline healthcare workforce is critical. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fd3e401c177045228244139edf95b149 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1747-5341 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-fd3e401c177045228244139edf95b1492025-01-12T12:34:42ZengBMCPhilosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine1747-53412025-01-0120111110.1186/s13010-024-00162-yThe collective experience of moral distress: a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during COVID-19Sophie Lewis0Karen Willis1Natasha Smallwood2Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, University of SydneyCollege of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria UniversityDepartment of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Central Clinical School, The Alfred Hospital, Monash UniversityAbstract Background Moral distress is reported to be a critical force contributing to intensifying rates of anxiety, depression and burnout experienced by healthcare workers. In this paper, we examine the moral dilemmas and ensuing distress personally and collectively experienced by healthcare workers while caring for patients during the pandemic. Methods Data are drawn from free-text responses from a cross-sectional national online survey of Australian healthcare workers about the patient care challenges they faced. Results Three themes were derived from qualitative content analysis that illuminated the ways in which moral dilemmas and distress were relationally experienced by healthcare workers: (1) the moral ambiguity of how to care well for patients amid a rapidly changing work environment; (2) the distress of witnessing suffering shared between healthcare workers and patients; and (3) the distress of performing new forms of invisible work in the absence of institutional recognition. These findings reveal that moral distress was a strongly shared experience. Conclusions Findings advance understandings of moral distress as a relational experience, collectively felt, constituted, and experienced by healthcare workers. Considering how to harness collective solidarity in effectively responding to moral distress experienced across the frontline healthcare workforce is critical.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13010-024-00162-yMoral distressPatient careFrontline healthcareBurnoutCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Sophie Lewis Karen Willis Natasha Smallwood The collective experience of moral distress: a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during COVID-19 Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine Moral distress Patient care Frontline healthcare Burnout COVID-19 |
| title | The collective experience of moral distress: a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during COVID-19 |
| title_full | The collective experience of moral distress: a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | The collective experience of moral distress: a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The collective experience of moral distress: a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during COVID-19 |
| title_short | The collective experience of moral distress: a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during COVID-19 |
| title_sort | collective experience of moral distress a qualitative analysis of perspectives of frontline health workers during covid 19 |
| topic | Moral distress Patient care Frontline healthcare Burnout COVID-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13010-024-00162-y |
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