Moral Injury and Veterinary Nursing

Moral injury is a relatively new concept in the veterinary world, but deeply relevant to the experiences of anyone working with animals. Veterinary professionals are frequently confronted with ethical challenges, each with the potential to cause psychological or emotional trauma. However, research on moral injury specific to veterinary professionals is limited and focused mainly on veterinary surgeons. This chapter looks instead at veterinary nurses and their experiences with moral injury, drawing on research from human nursing and other fields. Challenges specific to veterinary nurses are discussed, as well as ideas for mitigating the risk of moral injury and the potential associated harms.