The heart-breaking reality of moral injury

Moral injury is often associated with veterans or active military, but it can happen to anyone. People with a strong moral compass seem especially susceptible. Dr. Wendy Dean describes what moral injury feels like in a healthcare setting with her heart-breaking statement: "I know what to do but my hands are tied due to the constraints in my system."

This sense of being constrained by the system manifests across professions. A teacher sees a hungry child and knows exactly what to do - connect them with the free breakfast program - but the program was just cut. An engineer at Boeing experiences this same bind when they repeatedly voice safety concerns, but are dismissed by supervisors who insinuate they’re not being a team player.

When I learned that hospitalization increases suicide risk, then experienced several patient suicides in short succession at the hospital where I worked, I felt immense pain. Just as Dean describes, I knew what needed to be done - eliminate the use of force and provide more voluntary help and preventative - but governing bodies said the hospital was operating using current best practices. Three different professionals, three different settings, but the same agonizing experience: knowing the right course of action but feeling powerless to take meaningful action.