Experiences of Moral Distress Among BC Healthcare Providers
Informed Consent
The purpose of this research project is to better understand experiences of moral distress among healthcare providers (HCPs). Moral distress results from not being able to carry out what you believed to be ethically appropriate actions at work because of constraints or barriers. This project is led by Dr. Julia Smith, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, and is funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and is based out of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University. The project commenced in August 2022 and will be completed in August 2023.
As part of this project, you are invited to participate in a survey, to share your experiences as a healthcare worker in BC. The survey should take less than 15. It asks questions about moral distress related to:
- Resources and quality of care
- COVID-19
- Care to dependents
It also asks about coping strategies for dealing with the effects of moral distress and ask for some demographic data to aid analysis. Please answer all the questions you are able to as honestly as possible. All information will be kept confidential, and you will not be identified in any research outputs.
Results from the survey will be to produce research outputs (such as academic articles, policy briefs and presentations), and to communicate with decisionmakers regarding ways to improve the healthcare work environment and create resources that better meet the needs of healthcare providers.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
You are invited to participate if you are currently residing in British Columbia and work (full, part-time or casual) in one of the following professions: nurse, long term care aide, homecare aid or physician. If you do not match this inclusion criteria please do not complete the survey.
Study Procedures
You will be asked some questions about demography, events that may result in moral distress and coping strategies for dealing with moral distress. It will take less than 15 minutes to complete the survey. The survey is expected to close on November 30, 2022
At the end of the survey, you will also be invited to participate in a follow-up interview or focus group. Should you be willing to participate, you will be asked to provide your e-mail address or phone number so we can contact you at a later time. You will be invited to participate between January and February 2022. Missing an initial email invitation or interview/focus group session will not exclude you from participating in the future. You may contact Dr. Julia Smith (jhs6@sfu.ca) at your comfort and leisure. If you no longer want to participate in a follow-up interview/focus group after having provided your e-mail, you can do so by contacting Dr. Julia Smith (jhs6@sfu.ca).
Participation in this survey is entirely voluntary. You can refuse to participate in this study. If you decide to participate, you may still choose to withdraw from the study at any time without negative consequences.
Potential Benefits
There are no direct benefits to you by participating in this study. However, the results from this study can help better understand the infrastructures, policies, procedures, and interpersonal conflicts that result in moral distress among HCPs. If you are interested in learning about the results of this study, you can opt-in to receiving research updates at the end of the survey. Group survey results will also be available by emailing Dr. Julia Smith at jhs6@sfu.ca after analyses are complete.
Potential Risks
You may find some questions in the survey distressing or upsetting, as certain questions ask about scenarios that may result in discomfort, stress or anxiety. You do not have to complete every question and are free to only answer questions that you are comfortable with. Should you find it helpful, there are also mental wellness resources listed at the end of this survey.
Reimbursement
To compensate you for your time and effort, you may enter a draw to win one of 20 $100 gift cards at the end of the survey.
Confidentiality
Your confidentiality will be respected. When survey results are reported, presented, or published we will not include any data that could identify you.
All research participants will be assigned a unique study number, which will be used on any research-related information collected during the study. The key that matches identifying information to the unique study number will be stored in a secured password protected file on SFU One Drive and an encrypted external hard drive (as a backup), available only to the principal investigator (Dr. Julia Smith). The list that matches your name to the unique study number that is used on your research-related information will not be removed or released without your consent unless required by law. De-identified data will be stored in a secure password protected One Drive, only accessible to research team members on a need-to-know basis. As, we do not intend to identify you, for open ended responses, please do not share information that might identify you or someone else.
Your rights to privacy are legally protected by federal and provincial laws that require safeguards to ensure that your privacy is respected. You also have the legal right of access to the information about you that has been provided and, if need be, an opportunity to correct any errors in this information. If you need to access your submitted survey responses please contact the principal investigator. You can request your survey be deleted and removed from the study for up to 10 years. After 10 years all survey data will be destroyed.
This survey is hosted through SFU-licensed version of SurveyMonkey which is hosted in Canada. However, the parent company is owned and operated in the U.S.A and may be subject to the U.S. laws, Any data you provide may be transmitted and stored in countries outside of Canada, as well as in Canada. It is important to remember that privacy laws vary in different countries and may not be the same as in Canada.
Contact for information about the study:
At the end of the survey you will have the option to opt-in to receiving updates about the research project. We plan to produce research briefs, presentations and articles. You can also contact Dr. Julia Smith at jhs6@sfu.ca for more information at any time. You may also contact Dr. Smith if you wish to withdraw your consent or have any questions.
If you have any concerns about your rights as a research participant and/or your experiences while participating in this study, you may contact please contact the Director, SFU Office of Research Ethics, at dore@sfu.ca or 778-782-6593.
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