Moral distress in midwifery practice: A Delphi study

Foster, Wendy; McKellar, Lois; Fleet, Julie-Anne; Sweet, Linda

Abstract

Background
Moral distress is a psychological concept that describes the harm associated with actions or inactions that oppose an individuals’ moral beliefs. Moral distress is linked to moral compromise in the workplace that may negatively impact mental wellbeing. Current tools available to assess moral distress are not specific for the Australian health care system or midwifery practice.

Aim
The aim of this study was to develop a list of situational and outcome statements associated with moral compromise and levels of moral distress in midwifery to inform the development of a tool to measure levels of moral distress in midwives.

Methods
This e-Delphi study was the third stage of a sequential exploratory mixed-methods study. Using an online strategy, three iterative rounds of e-Delphi were collected and analysed for consensus on situations leading to moral distress and the associated psychological outcomes.

Findings
Twenty participants contributed across the three rounds. Consensus was met in 40 morally compromising situation statements. The highest level of consensus related to excessive workloads and the associated negative impact of this on women and families. Consensus on outcomes following exposure to morally distressing situations led to the development of a continuum scale from moral frustration to moral injury.

Discussion/conclusion
This is the first study to use a consensus method to establish different levels of moral compromise, frustration, distress, and injury in midwifery practice. The findings of this study contribute to a growing body of literature that supports the concept of moral distress occurring across a continuum.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 25, 2023
• Online Publication Date: May 8, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-09
• Deposit Date: Jun 28, 2023
• Journal: Women and Birth
• Print ISSN: 1871-5192
• Electronic ISSN: 1878-1799
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 5
• Pages: e544-e555
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2023.04.005
• Keywords: Moral distress, Midwifery, Ethics, Delphi technique, Moral injury, Moral frustration