COVID-19 Supporting Doctors: Moral Injury Hurts with Dr Caroline Walker and Dr Rachel Morris
Rachel is joined again by Dr Caroline Walker, The Joyful Doctor. Caroline is a Psychiatrist, therapist, specialist in the wellbeing of doctors & host of The Joyful Doctor Podcast.
This is the third in a new series of podcast episodes and videos – COVID-19 Supporting Doctors.
In these difficult times, Caroline & Rachel are working together to bring you as much support as they can. We’ll be tackling various different topics as they emerge in order to help doctors keep their head in the game, stay focussed & resilient.
In this episode, we talk about moral injury - the distress we feel when our actions (or lack of them) violate our moral or ethical code. Doctors are already being asked to work in ways that are alien to them and may feel quite wrong. We have been trained to care for the patient in front of us, and it becomes hard when we have to make difficult decisions which have a huge impact.
We chat about the sorts of moral injury that frontline workers may experience, the role of ethical guidance and individual decision making and discuss the sorts of symptoms you may experience if you are suffering from moral injury.
Connecting with others, having regular check-ins, not neglecting the basics in caring for yourselves and your teams are ways to help prepare for what may come. If you are suffering, speaking to other people, making sure you don’t do this alone and getting the professional support and advice you need early will help.
Doctors – we need you more than ever. Keep up the good work. Keep your heads. Keep caring.
Contact Rachel – rachel@wildmonday.co.uk Twitter - @DrRachel Morris
Contact Caroline – caroline@joyfuldoctor.com Twitter @joyful_doctor
We are sending out a weekly email with new resources, tips and useful content especially for doctors and healthcare professionals throughout the COVID-19 crisis. If you’d like to receive this and other resources about thriving at work then please sign up here
You can watch this podcast episode on YouTube here
Podcast links
24 hour support for NHS staff: Call 0300 131 7000 between 7am and 11pm or text FRONTLINE to 85258 24/7.
Coronavirus wellbeing support for doctors Facebook group
The Joyful Doctor Website www.joyfuldoctor.com
Shapes for Doctors Website www.shapesfordoctors.com
You Are Not A Frog website www.shapesfordoctors.co.uk/podcasts/
The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living by Russ Harris
The NHS Practitioner Health Programme
Sign up for downloadable CPD reflection forms plus more tools and resources
For more episodes, check out