MedEd Studio: Moral Distress- The silent epidemic
In this conversation, Professor Elisabeth Epstein discusses the concept of moral distress in healthcare, its impact on professionals, and the importance of addressing it within medical education and healthcare systems. She explains the definition of moral distress, its manifestations, and the various factors contributing to it.
Understanding and Addressing Moral Distress in Healthcare
This episode touches on the intersection of personal values and professional obligations, highlighting the need for resilience among healthcare providers and the development of a moral distress scale to measure and monitor this phenomenon. Professor Epstein emphasises the importance of interventions designed to reduce moral distress and improve the overall healthcare environment.
Moral distress is a significant issue in healthcare, leading to burnout and impacting the wellbeing of healthcare workers. It is not an individual weakness but a systemic problem that has gained more recognition in recent years. Healthcare professionals often feel complicit in wrongdoing due to moral distress, which can occur in various medical fields, not just in intensive care. The conflict between personal values and professional obligations is a common cause of moral distress, making education on this topic crucial for new healthcare professionals. To measure its impact, a moral distress scale has been developed, and effective interventions are necessary to address and mitigate moral distress.
Beth Epstein
Beth Epstein is a professor of nursing at University of Virginia. She directs the UVA Health System’s moral distress consult service, a hospital-wide intervention to address moral distress and is a member of the ethics consult service. Along with colleagues from six healthcare organisations across the country, she launched the Moral Distress Consultation Collaborative in 2020 with the purpose of furthering research in moral distress and ethics and developing best practices for moral distress consultation.