Experiences of moral challenges in everyday nursing practice: In light of healthcare
professionals’ self-understanding
Sammanfattning
This study has two aims: firstly, to describe and interpret experiences of moral challenges in
everyday nursing practice, as expressed in reflection groups, and secondly, to further interpret how
healthcare professionals’ self-understanding can bring light to such challenges. Data consisted of
eight reflection group conversations with healthcare professionals, and were analysed using a
phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Three themes have been formulated: ‘Having to be
affected in order to help the patient’, ‘Having to accept that colleagues do not always collaborate’,
and ‘Having to endure organizational demands’. The comprehensive understanding highlights that
despite healthcare professionals’ struggle with demanding aspects of caring for their patients, they
strive to do good. The study concludes that supporting healthcare professionals when they
experience moral challenges is important particularly because such challenges seem to involve a
challenge to healthcare professionals’ self-understanding, which may ultimately lead to their
questioning why they are struggling with demanding situations in caring for the patient.