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A Missing but Relevant Concept for Ethics in Social Work
Abstract: The theoretical concept of "moral distress" developed in the field of nursing to identify the psychological and emotional effects experienced by professionals when they feel blocked by institutional constraints from pursuing a course they perceive is right. While social work literature has recognized the ethical dilemma that workers face in choosing between several appropriate courses of action, each of which may have positive and negative consequences, the idea of moral distress has received little attention. Despite its flaws, the concept of moral distress names political dimensions in professional practice revealing structural issues as ethical concerns. The article also addresses how social workers can overcome the disjunctions between how they would like to act and the constraints tfiey experience.
Abrégé : Le concept théorique de la « détresse morale » a vu le jour dans le domaine des soins infirmiers pour identifier les effets psychologiques et émotionnels que ressentent les professionnels lorsqu'ils estiment que les contraintes institutionnelles les empêchent de suivre ce qui leur apparaît comme le droit chemin. Bien que la littérature en service social reconnaisse le dilemme éthique auquel les travailleurs font face lorsqu'ils choisissent entre diverses lignes de conduite appropriées, chacune porteuse de conséquences positives et négatives, on s'est très peu arrêté à l'idée de la détresse morale. Malgré ses défauts, la notion de détresse morale nomme des dimensions politiques en révélant des questions structurelles préoccupantes sur le plan de l'éthique. L'article traite également de ce que les travailleurs sociaux peuvent faire pour venir à bout des disjonctions entre la façon dont ils voudraient agir et les contraintes auxquelles ils font face.
MANY CHILD protection workers are leaving the field due to unmanageable work conditions. As an example, between 2002 and 2006, British Columbia's child welfare ministry lost 10 per cent of its staff through turnover, and sick leave averaged 12.39 days per employee, an unusually high statistic compared to other government departments (Pivot Legal Society, 2009, p. iv). In a study in 2009 designed to address issues of retention, social workers from child welfare reported four main reasons for leaving their employment: "unmanageable caseloads, a lack of confidence in all levels of leadership and management, high stress levels, and a...