Moral Injury-Wellness Resources

If you are currently suffering from PTSD, depression, or addiction there is help. Please visit one of the links below.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and having thoughts of hurting yourself you promptly should call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or 911. You can learn more about the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at suicidepreventionlifeline.org
NAMI- Mental Health resources for Health Care Professionals. (You can also contact the NAMI HelpLine between 10 am and 8 pm ET at 800-950-6264 to access confidential, professional support. For immediate assistance, text “SCRUBS” to 741741 at any time.)

AFT Trauma Benefit- The AFT is providing you with a Trauma Counseling benefit at no cost. As an active member* you're eligible to receive up to three months of counseling via video, phone, or text after a covered incident.

Frontliners- Crisis Counseling for Frontline Workers.

Nurse Groups- No-cost, confidential, videoconference groups for nurses to connect and process COVID-19. 

Therapy AID– Individual and group therapy for frontline workers and their families.

AFT’s Moral Injury Project

Too many nurses & healthcare professionals are living with PTSD as a result of Moral Injury. Work shouldn’t hurt.

Moral injury is defined as the “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” (Litz et al., 2009).

It is one of the major causes of burnout, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and other negative effects of nursing. This concept of moral injury emphasizes system-level causes and solutions and is distinct from the emphasis on individual resilience as a solution to the costs of caring.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic Moral Injury Amongst Nurses and HCP has increased exponentially. AFT has partnered with GW Health Workforce Institute to put the voices of nurses front & center.

If you would like to share your story through AFT’s Moral Injury Project Click Here.

Ohio Nurses Foundation Moral Injury Research.

Moral Injury: a Phenomena Sweeping the Nursing Profession

Workplace violence, burnout, short staffing, COVID-19, traumatic events

Nurses are up against major obstacles every day, many of which have a lasting impact that go beyond the bedside. That’s why the Ohio Nurses Foundation is dedicating a research award of up to $100,000 to study moral injury in nursing – phenomena sweeping the profession that has received little research attention. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to support nurses with this important research.

To learn more Click Here