Ethical conflicts among physicians and nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Qualitative Health Research
• Pandemic Response

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic placed immense pressure on healthcare systems globally.
• Healthcare professionals reported high caseloads, increasing the risk of morally injurious events.
• Understanding new moral challenges faced by frontline workers is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of physicians and nurses regarding new moral challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify the nature and impact of ethical dilemmas encountered by frontline healthcare providers.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing Gadamer's phenomenology.
• In-depth interviews with 13 frontline medicine and nursing graduates.
• Data collected from primary and hospital care settings in Spain.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: betrayal of moral values, ethical failure and loss of meaning, lack of confidence, and self-punishment.
• Moral distress significantly impacted healthcare workers' well-being and professional performance.
• Experiences highlighted profound psychological and ethical suffering.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare institutions need to implement interventions to support professionals facing ethical challenges.
• Training in moral deliberation and ethical decision-making is essential for healthcare workers.
• Proactive measures are required to mitigate the negative consequences of ethical conflicts during health crises.