The moral deliberation pathway in veterinary practice: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Veterinarians may face various ethical decisions and potential moral conflicts in clinical practice. The ethical decision-making process often leads to a satisfying resolution. However, when such a process is accompanied by a perceived inability to act according to a person's values, it can lead to psychological distress that characterises moral distress. Theoretical models in professions such as nursing attempt to explain the evolution of moral conflict into moral distress. In veterinary professionals, a model has been proposed to explain this pathway (the moral deliberation pathway). However, empirical data are still lacking on whether veterinary clinicians experience a moral deliberation pathway as hypothesised.

Methods: Using thematic analysis, this qualitative study investigates veterinary clinicians' experiences with moral distress and aims to explain the moral deliberation pathway in these veterinarians.

Results: The results suggest that veterinarians' experiences with moral distress follow a deliberation process that can be explained by the proposed moral deliberation pathway. Experiencing a moral conflict leads to moral stress, then either to moral distress or resolution into moral comfort.

Limitations: Self-selection of participants and possible recollection bias may have biased the findings.

Conclusions: The empirical data provided by this study can inform future research and intervention strategies to identify, measure and manage moral distress in the veterinary context.