David Oliver: Moral distress in hospital doctors

The concept of “moral distress” in nurses was described by Andrew Jameton in 1984.1 He has defined it as occurring when one knows the right thing to do for a patient but institutional constraints make it impossible to pursue that course of action.23 The medical literature has plenty on physician burnout, poor working conditions, and their effects on doctors’ wellbeing.45 We haven’t tended to discuss moral distress as much as nurses do, although we clearly experience it too. The Point of Care Foundation6 has worked with over 180 organisations throughout the NHS, specifically supporting clinical teams. The foundation’s director, Jocelyn Cornwell, told me, “I have learned that …