Moral distress among infection prevention and control professionals: A scoping review

Matt Mason; Byeonghun Im; Jocelyne Basseal; Peta-Anne Zimmerman

doi:10.1016/j.idh.2024.10.002

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Moral distress among infection prevention and control professionals: A scoping review

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Moral distress among infection prevention and control professionals: A scoping review

Matt Mason, Byeonghun Im, Jocelyne Basseal and Peta-Anne Zimmerman

Infection, Disease & Health, Vol.30(2), pp.152-161

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idh.2024.10.002

PMID: 39578154

Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs

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Abstract

Health services and systems

Nursing workforce

Public health not elsewhere classified

Evaluation of health and support services not elsewhere classified

Other health not elsewhere classified

Moral Distress

Infection Prevention and Control

Outbreak

Pandemic

Ethics

Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital role of Infection Prevention and Control Professionals (IPCPs) in safeguarding public health. Amid rapidly evolving guidelines, critical personal protective equipment shortages, and surging workloads, IPCPs encountered unprecedented moral and ethical dilemmas. However, their experiences, ethical challenges, and the resulting moral distress remain understudied. Methods A scoping review following Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology was conducted to examine current research on ethical challenges and moral distress among IPCPs. Searches in CINAHL, MEDLINE via OVID, Emcare, Scopus, and Korea Citation Index yielded two extracted articles. Results Common themes included high workload, increased recognition, pressure to deliver accurate and timely information, need for peer support, and evidence-based practice. Differences in nationality, role discretion, and administrative systems led to varied experiences. District Medical Officers in Norway experienced more decision-making responsibilities and resulting ethical dilemmas in the context of broader communities and municipalities. The experiences of IPCPs were confined to their respective healthcare facilities. Conclusion There is a dearth of available research reporting the moral distress experienced by IPCPs whilst there is a plethora for those seen as “frontline” workers. Given the integral decision-making and implementation roles of these health professionals, and the burdens of ethical dilemmas they experienced in pandemic preparedness and response, further research is imperative to inform strategies to build moral resilience in the future.

Details

Title: Moral distress among infection prevention and control professionals: A scoping review
Authors: Matt Mason (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nursing
Byeonghun Im (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nursing
Jocelyne Basseal (Author) - The University of Sydney
Peta-Anne Zimmerman (Author) - Griffith University
Publication details: Infection, Disease & Health, Vol.30(2), pp.152-161
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.idh.2024.10.002
ISSN: 2468-0869
PMID: 39578154
Copyright note: (c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Grant note: Scholarship support was provided by the University of the Sunshine Coast for the second author.
Organisation Unit: Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Health; School of Health - Nursing
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991080998902621
Output Type: Journal article

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