Druk op de ketel van de zorg: ethisch overleg als antwoord op morele stress

Abstract

The boiling kettle of care: ethical deliberation as an answer to moral distress In challenging times like today, health professionals often need to intensify their courage and energy in order to continue doing the job with spirit and enthusiasm. Professional, caring and dignified care, that is what we all want. Unfortunately, increasing pressure determinants cause many forms of moral distress in medicine and health care. Moral distress is the wry feeling that we experience when the given care cannot be defined as ethically good. How can we deal with this in a sustainable and meaningful way? This paper examines the phenomenon of moral distress in medicine and health care, describes it from an ethical perspective and focuses on the way in which ethics, ethical reflection, discussion and deliberation can help in dealing with it in a sustainable and meaningful manner.