Moral Injury: Our work, our world, ourselves
Identifying moral injury by name is a good place to start – interview with Rita Brock
Rita Brock, director of the Shay Moral Injury Institute at Volunteers of America, recently spoke to Vision editor David Lewellen about moral injury in healthcare, particularly after two-plus years of the coronavirus pandemic. The following is a slightly condensed version of their conversation…(Read more)
Critical incident debriefing mitigates moral distress after difficult cases – by Paula McKenzie
During my CPE training, a veteran chaplain introduced me to critical incident stress debriefing. He shared information about the process with me and invited me to participate. This was an excellent foundation for my future work as a staff chaplain and, later, as a director of pastoral care…(Read more)
Spiritual intervention may alleviate moral injury and depression among nurses – by Teresa Durbak Sipos
Moral injury has emerged as one reason that nurses leave the profession, worsening the nursing shortage in the wake of COVID-19. Recent surveys now include the concept of spirituality as a possible resource for nurses…(Read more)
Examining moral distress can lead to moral resilience – by Kay Gorka
I need moral distress. I have studied moral distress, off and on, for my 17 years as a chaplain, and I also encounter it myself. But those revelations and discoveries can lead me to moral resilience, and ultimately moral courage….(Read more)
Insights into veterans’ moral injury carry over to healthcare workers – Interview with Wes Fleming BCC
What’s the difference between PTSD and moral injury?
PTSD is a physiological response, the result of biological mechanisms in the brain and nervous system that release stress hormones, and we can treat the symptoms with medication and therapy. Moral injury was noticed by researchers as presenting features that weren’t ameliorated by PTSD treatment. The ways people react to the emotional pain of a moral violation, in this case moral pain, can include emotional distress, substance abuse, and self-harming behavior…(Read more)
