Français

Think Tank on Moral Distress in Long-Term Care

Publish Date:

FLTCA Alignments: ,

About the Think Tank

The Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) hosted a Think Tank on Moral Distress in Long-Term Care, in Waterloo, Ontario, on September 29, 2023. Participants included researchers, policy makers, care providers, and knowledge mobilization practitioners.

The goals of the Think Tank were to:

  • share and learn about current Canadian perspectives on moral distress and moral injury,
  • understand how this knowledge can be applied to the long-term care sector, and
  • explore opportunities for future research, clinical practice, and collaborative knowledge mobilization.
Group photo of Think Tank participants in front of the Research Institute for Aging
Think Tank on Moral Distress in LTC participants (photo: Jasmin Gow)

Think Tank Report

Through discussions with LTC team members and students, the Think Tank examined the current understanding of moral distress and moral injury within the LTC context and explored potential strategies/interventions that could help alleviate the stress and strain on learners, staff, and leadership. Read the Moral Distress and Moral Injury in Long-term Care Think Tank Report.

Agenda and Presentation Slides

Presentation Abstracts | Participant Biographies

To download the presentation slides, click on the titles in the Agenda below.

TimeActivity
8:00 amArrival and light breakfast
8:30 amWelcome and introductions
Moderators: Kate Dupuis, Jane Kuepfer, Scott Mitchell
Speaker: Tina Mah (Executive Director, RIA)
8:45 – 9:00 amSetting the Stage
Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio, “Moral Distress in the Context of Long-Term Care”
9:00 – 10:00 amResearch snapshots (A): Defining and Measuring Moral Distress
Moderator: Margaret McKinnon
Anthony Nazarov, “Moral Distress and Moral Injury among Canadian Armed Forces Personnel Following Deployment to Operation LASER”
Kim Ritchie and Heather Millman, “Understanding Moral Injury in Healthcare Providers Who Worked in Long-Term Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Oluwagbohunmi (Olu) Awosoga, “Reducing Moral Distress in Nursing Providers of Dementia Care: Knowledge to Action in Continuing Care (REMIND-KTAC)”
AnneMarie Levy, “Implementation of the Dementia Isolation Toolkit in Long-Term Care Improves Awareness but Does Not Reduce Level of Moral Distress amongst Staff”
Heather Keller, “When Mealtimes Don’t Live Up to Expectations”
10:00 – 10:15 amBreak
10:15 – 11:15 amResearch snapshots (B): Responding to Moral Distress
Moderator: Kim Ritchie
Elizabeth Peter, “Registered Practical Nurses’ Experiences of the Moral Habitability of Long-Term Care Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Kathleen Sorensen, “Moral Injury Recovery after COVID for Recreationists in Long-Term Care”
Cera Cruise, “LTC Workers’ Experiences of Moral Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned and Paths Forward”
Nisha Sutherland, “Moral Distress During the Pandemic: Impacts on the Mental Health of Long-Term Care Home Staff in North Western Ontario”
Margaret McKinnon, “Mobilizing Insights Surrounding Moral Injury among Canadian Healthcare Providers”
11:15-11:30 amBreak
11:30 am-12:30 pmResearch snapshots (C): Preventing Moral Distress
Moderator: Elizabeth Peter
Sheila Boamah, “Experiences of Healthcare Workers in Long-Term Care during COVID-19: A Scoping Review”
Edward Spilg, “The New Frontline: Exploring the Links Between Moral Distress, Moral Resilience and Mental Health in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Tracy Trothen, “Moral Distress and Relational Autonomy: MAiD”
Julia Smith, “An Intersectional Analysis of Moral Distress and Intention to Leave Employment among Long-Term Care Providers in British Columbia”
12:30-1:15 pmLunch and networking
1:15-1:30 pmIntroduction to roundtable discussions
1:30-2:30 pmRoundtable discussions
Moderators: Oluwagbohunmi (Olu) Awosoga, Sheila Boamah, Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio, Heather Keller, Julia Smith, Tracy Trothen, Jodi Webber
How should existing knowledge be mobilized in LTC?
How do you prevent moral injury/develop moral resilience in LTC?
What do policy makers need to know about moral distress/moral injury in LTC?
What are the research gaps and opportunities?
2:30-2:45 pmReport back
2:45-3:00 pmBreak
3:00-3:45 pmGroup discussion
Moderators: Kate Dupuis, Jane Kuepfer
What are the top priorities for action?
How can we continue to collaborate?
Who else should be involved?
What are our next steps?
3:45-4:00 pmWrap-up and evaluation

Graphic Recording

Devon Kerslake of ThinkLink Graphics created the following images capturing ideas from the morning research presentations and afternoon roundtable discussions.

Graphic illustration of ideas from research presentations on moral distress
Graphic illustration of ideas from roundtable discussions on moral distress

Related Resources

Mental Health Resources to Support Your Team

Are you an LTC leader or educator looking for mental health resources and tools to support your team? Find handouts, printables, and more from various organizations.

Mental Health Supports for LTC Team Members

Find mental health supports for frontline LTC team members. Learn new coping skills, speak to a counsellor, or get self-help and peer support.

Workplace Mental Health in LTC

This program supports long-term care homes across Ontario to adopt the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Apply to learn how to build an organizational culture that promotes and protects the mental health of all team members, and improves workforce productivity, recruitment and retention.

Your Feedback Matters

Your feedback is valued and allows us to improve our resources available to those working and living in long-term care. Please take a minute to fill out the following form:

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Would you recommend this resource?*