Coping With Moral Distress in Oncology Practice: Nurse and Physician Strategies

To explore variations in coping with moral distress among physicians and nurses in a university hospital oncology setting.
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Qualitative interview study.
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Internal medicine (gastroenterology and medical oncology), gastrointestinal surgery, and day clinic chemotherapy at Ghent University Hospital in Belgium.
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17 doctors and 18 nurses with varying experience levels, working in three different oncology hospital settings. 
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Patients with cancer were interviewed based on the critical incident technique. Analyses were performed using thematic analysis.
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Moral distress lingered if it was accompanied by emotional distress. Four dominant ways of coping (thoroughness, autonomy, compromise, and intuition) emerged, which could be mapped on two perpendicular continuous axes.

Moral distress is a challenging phenomenon in oncology. However, when managed well, it can lead to more introspection and team reflection, resulting in a better interpersonal understanding.
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Team leaders should recognize their own and their team members' preferred method of coping and tailored support should be offered to ease emotional distress.