Citation

Dean W. AMA J. Ethics 2022; 24(2): E160-163.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/amajethics.2022.160

PMID

35324105

Abstract

A career as a public servant carries risk of moral injury. Law enforcement and health care personnel must subordinate some personal values in service to the public. Transgression and betrayal are primary mechanisms of moral injury, which this article explains. Identifying which value system (eg, personal, professional, or social) is affected by moral injury can inform efforts to mitigate it, help support personnel who have experienced it, and preserve public servants' connection to the broader missions of their professions.

Language: en