Good morning,
Below is some info from AFT. In particular I want to call attention to the Moral Injury Project. It is a new national project to call attention to the need for system level changes to healthcare to deal with Moral Injury, which is defined as “psychological, biological, spiritual, behavioral, and social impact of perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations"
We all know what it is, it’s the conflict that arises when the job you want to do is not possible because you just don’t have the time or resources. It’s comes from being forced to chose between doing the best you can do for all your patients or doing a job like you were trained in school to do and you want to do, for only some of your patients. There is no good answer because the question is invalid. The question should be, how do we provide the needed time and resources to do the work we Should and Want to do? (And you know what? Educations and public servants are effected by Moral Injury too) This Program is designed to make the public aware, so that we can make system changes. I strongly urge you to share with your members and ask them to submit their stories.
Also included below is a link to The latest issue of AFT Health Care , our AFT Healthcare magazine, a video from Randi, and some info on workplace violence.
While COVID-19 has surged and ebbed nationwide, our members who work in healthcare have provided lifesaving treatment and support to those in need. The AFT celebrates National Nurses Week, May 6-12, by inviting our community to say thank you by recording a short video or message that we can share on social media. And be sure to watch AFT President Randi Weingarten's thank-you video. We’re also launching the Moral Injury Project to raise awareness about the challenges facing nurses, and we’re taking action against workplace violence.
While vaccines offer hope, the pandemic continues to expose inequities in healthcare and accentuate the challenges faced by frontline providers. The latest issue of AFT Health Care delves into the severe problem of moral injury among healthcare professionals and discusses the deep changes necessary for patients and providers to thrive. Also in this issue: the importance of respectful maternity care for women of color, how clinicians can support health literacy and equity through better communication, and the essential work of nurse practitioners.
The pandemic has drastically affected our members, with the AFT losing more than 300 members to COVID-19. For more than a year, nurses and health professionals have been caring for patients while their hospitals made choices that put them at risk. These members have been filing complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and demanding an emergency safety standard for COVID. Now, more help may finally be on the way.
