‘Moral shielding: A grounded theory of moral integrity maintenance within multidisciplinary teams’.

Abstract

On a daily basis, many health care practitioners find themselves in situations where their original aspirations to be a caring and good professional are challenged. Imagine a nurse working within a war zone where she is required, due to limited resources, to make a decision as to which of two injured soldier should have lifesaving surgery first. This is known as triage. Having made her decision, she discovers that the second soldier has died in the meantime. She knew that the right decision was for both soldiers to receive the surgery; however, the circumstances prevented this. The emotional aftermath of such a situation has been reported to lead to a debilitating condition known as ‘moral distress,’ where the victim feels immense guilt, shame and even anger for not acting in a manner that maintains their sense of moral integrity. Fortunately, few professionals have to make such definitive life-saving decisions. Nevertheless, ...