Ethics in practice: Schwartz rounds and veterinary clinical ethics committees

It is increasingly recognised that ethical dilemmas in the veterinary profession can be a cause of psychological harm to veterinary professionals (Williamson et al, 2022). Potential harms such as moral injury, compassion fatigue, disenfranchised grief, and post-traumatic stress disorder are commonly reported in human nursing (Giannetta et al, 2021), and studies of veterinary professionals suggest such harms may also be common in this industry (Moses et al, 2018).

There is a growing body of research into veterinary mental health and approaches to support and resilience (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 2022a). This tends to focus on veterinary surgeons because of their decision-making responsibilities, but veterinary nurses are also faced with ethical challenges and the psychological issues these may raise (Quain et al, 2021).

As yet, there is little research into possible methods for mitigation of moral injury and related issues. However, it is possible to draw on research conducted in human medicine. Studies involving human nurses have evaluated a range of different approaches, including education, group discussion and reflective practice (Morley et al, 2021). These studies show that having a sense of moral community helps nurses evaluate their own decision making and supports them in giving voice to their concerns (Traudt et al, 2016).