‘I don't really know where I stand because I don't know if I took something away from her’: Moral injury in South African speech–language therapists and audiologists due to patient death and dying

Abstract

Background: Speech-language therapists and audiologists (SLT&As) may encounter difficulties when confronted with patient death and dying, which may conflict with their moral beliefs and result in moral injury. Furthermore, South African SLT&As practice in a country with a high mortality rate, which may add to the complexity of their experience. Moreover, they may be influenced by African philosophies promoting care, which might conflict with their experiences of patient death and dying. Aims:To explore the moral injury experienced by South African SLT&As in patient death and dying, and how they overcame the injury. Methods & Procedures: This article forms part of a larger qualitative study that explored SLT&As' experiences of patient death and dying in South Africa. Thematic analysis was conducted on the transcripts of 25 episodic narrative interviews conducted with South African SLT&As on their experiences of patient death and dying.Outcomes & Results: Findings suggest that South African SLT&As experienced helplessness, guilt and anger in patient death and dying. However, with support from the allied team, engaging in self-reflection and religious practices, they reported alleviation of moral injury. Conclusions & Implications:In order to mitigate moral injury in South African SLT&As, they require professional education, self-care strategies, guidelines and support from the teams in which they work and their supervisors.Research is needed that explores how SLT&As' biographical characteristics and interactions with significant others of dying and deceased patients, may result in moral injury.