Less moral stress after moral deliberation in the ICU

ICU professionals face complex ethical problems in their daily work. During a moral deliberation, healthcare professionals discuss such problems under the guidance of an ethicist. Researchers Niek Kok (IQ Health), Marieke Zegers, Malaika Fuchs, Jelle van Gurp (IQ Health) and Astrid C. Hoedemaekers studied for two years whether moral deliberation leads to less burnout, less moral stress and a better departmental culture. They concluded that ICU professionals working in ICUs where moral deliberation was held regularly experienced less moral stress. These professionals additionally experienced a better departmental culture. However, there was no decrease in burnout symptoms among these professionals. The study was recently published in Critical Care Medicine.
 

Read the entire article titled "Effect of Structural Moral Case Deliberation on Burnout Symptoms, Moral Distress, and Team Climate in ICU Professionals: A Parallel Cluster Randomized Trial.
By Kok, Niek MSc, Zegers, Marieke PhD, Teerenstra, Steven PhD, Fuchs, Malaika MD, van der Hoeven, Johannes G. PhD, van Gurp, Jelle L.P. PhD, Hoedemaekers, Cornelia W.E. PhD, in Critical Care Medicine, Volume 51 (00) June 02, 2023.