1. "The hierarchy is your constraint:" a qualitative investigation of social workers' moral distress across a U.S. health system.
- Author
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Fantus, Sophia, Cole, Rebecca, and Hawkins, Lataya
- Subjects
PROFESSIONAL ethics ,WORK environment ,ETHICS ,SOCIAL support ,TERMINAL care ,ACADEMIC medical centers ,ETHICAL decision making ,CLIENT relations ,RESEARCH methodology ,SELF-perception ,MEDICAL care ,PATIENT-centered care ,INTERVIEWING ,QUALITATIVE research ,CONFLICT (Psychology) ,SELF-efficacy ,HEALTH insurance reimbursement ,SOCIAL worker attitudes ,HEALTH ,AUTONOMY (Psychology) ,HEALTH care teams ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH funding ,VALUES (Ethics) ,JUDGMENT sampling ,STATISTICAL sampling ,CONTENT analysis ,PSYCHOLOGICAL distress ,PSYCHOLOGICAL stress ,CORPORATE culture ,PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience - Abstract
This paper reports findings from a qualitative study on the triggers of hospital social workers' moral distress at a large southern U.S. health system. Moral distress occurs when ethical conflict cannot be resolved in a way that aligns with an individual's personal and professional values and ethics. Participants indicated that moral distress derives from both individual interactions and the culture and climate of health systems. For example, participants expressed how sources of moral distress derived from client-centered decisions, such as end-of-life care and patient autonomy; interpersonal dynamics, including team or supervisory conflict; structural issues, such as insurance barriers or internal hospital policies; and organizational values, such as perceptions of institutional support and validation. Implications of this research suggest that health systems need to foster positive ethical environments that nurture clinicians' health and mental health through programs that aim to increase moral resilience, promote empowerment, and foster wellness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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