"I Went Into This Field to Empower Other People, and I Feel Like I Failed": Residents Experience Moral Distress Post- Dobbs

"I Went Into This Field to Empower Other People, and I Feel Like I Failed": Residents Experience Moral Distress Post- Dobbs

The 2022 Supreme Court ruling in nullified the constitutional right to abortion, which led to effective bans in at least 14 US states and placed obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residents in dilemmas where they may have to withhold care, potentially causing moral distress-a health care workforce p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of graduate medical education Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 271 - 279
Main Authors: Turk, Jema K, Claymore, Emily, Dawoodbhoy, Nafeesa, Steinauer, Jody E
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education 01-06-2024
Subjects:
Abortion, Induced - ethics
Abortion, Induced - psychology
Abortion, Legal - ethics
Abortion, Legal - psychology
Adult
Female
Gynecology - education
Humans
Internship and Residency
Interviews as Topic
Male
Morals
Obstetrics - education
Original Research
Physicians - psychology
Pregnancy
Psychological Distress
United States
United States
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Summary:The 2022 Supreme Court ruling in nullified the constitutional right to abortion, which led to effective bans in at least 14 US states and placed obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residents in dilemmas where they may have to withhold care, potentially causing moral distress-a health care workforce phenomenon less understood among resident physicians. To identify and explore moral distress experienced by OB/GYN residents due to care restrictions post- . In 2023, we invited OB/GYN residents, identified by their program directors, training in states with restricted abortion access, to participate in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews via Zoom about their experiences caring for patients post- . We used thematic analysis to analyze interview data. Twenty-one residents described their experiences of moral distress due to restrictions. We report on 3 themes in their accounts related to moral distress (and 4 subthemes): (1) challenges to their physician identity (inability to do the job, internalized distress, and reconsidering career choices); (2) participating in care that exacerbates inequities (and erodes patient trust); and (3) determination to advocate for and provide abortion care in the future. OB/GYN residents grappled with moral distress and identified challenges from abortion restrictions.
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content type line 23
ISSN:1949-8349
1949-8357
DOI:10.4300/JGME-D-23-00582.1