Distress Debriefings After Critical Incidents: A Pilot Project

Concerns about moral distress and burnout are not new; moral distress and burnout among health care professionals has been identified for decades.^1–5  Moral distress was defined by Jameton in 1984 as “when one knows the right thing to do, but institutional constraints make it nearly impossible to pursue the right course of action.”^6(p6)

Current definitions of moral distress include the personal constraints of moral distress. Often, the choices of what is best for a patient may conflict with what is best for the organization, the care providers, the family, or even other patients.³  Nurses experience moral distress when they act in a manner contrary to their personal and professional values, which then undermines their integrity and authenticity.¹  Frequently, nurses may not be able to protect patients from harm or provide patients with all the care needed. As Pendry writes, “With more responsibility than...