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, adding support from “those within your community (e.g., through faith-based organizations or other support networks)”…(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
Wes Fleming, BCC, a clinical chaplain for the Veterans Administration in Syracuse, NY, recently spoke to Vision editor David Lewellen about the similarities in moral injury between combat veterans and healthcare workers. Below is a slightly condensed version of their conversation…(Read more)

Pandemic spread moral injury widely in healthcare settings – by Wes Fleming
Moral injury is a violation of what an individual holds to be morally good and true. The concept arose from research seeking to explain the moral dimension of trauma experienced by combat-exposed veterans. Moral injury entails a unique distress, comprised of evaluative moral judgments that often lead to psychological and spiritual/existential distress…(Read more)