IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i15p9604-d880288.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Injurious Memories from the COVID-19 Frontline: The Impact of Episodic Memories of Self- and Other-Potentially Morally Injurious Events on Romanian Nurses’ Burnout, Turnover Intentions and Basic Need Satisfaction

Author

Listed:
  • Mihaela Alexandra Gherman

    (Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Str. Toma Cozma 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania)

  • Laura Arhiri

    (Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Str. Toma Cozma 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania)

  • Andrei Corneliu Holman

    (Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Str. Toma Cozma 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania)

  • Camelia Soponaru

    (Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Str. Toma Cozma 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania)

Abstract

Nurses have been frequently exposed to Potentially Morally Injurious Events (PMIEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to resource scarcity, they both perpetrated (self-PMIEs) and passively witnessed (other-PMIEs) moral transgressions toward the patients, severely violating their moral values. Our study investigated the impact of self- and other-PMIEs on work outcomes by exploring nurses’ episodic memories of these events and the basic psychological need thwarting associated with them. Using a quasi-experimental design, on a convenience sample of 463 Romanian nurses, we found that PMIEs memories were uniquely associated with burnout and turnover intentions, after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, general basic psychological need satisfaction at work and other phenomenological characteristics. Both self- and other-PMIEs memories were need thwarting, with autonomy and competence mediating their differential impact on burnout, and with relatedness—on turnover intentions. Our findings emphasize the need for organizational moral repair practices, which should include enhancing nurses’ feelings of autonomy, relatedness and competence. Psychological counseling and psychotherapy should be provided to nurses to prevent their episodic memories of PMIEs to be (fully) integrated in autobiographical knowledge, because this integration could have severe consequences on their psycho-social function and occupational health, as well as on the organizational climate in healthcare institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Mihaela Alexandra Gherman & Laura Arhiri & Andrei Corneliu Holman & Camelia Soponaru, 2022. "Injurious Memories from the COVID-19 Frontline: The Impact of Episodic Memories of Self- and Other-Potentially Morally Injurious Events on Romanian Nurses’ Burnout, Turnover Intentions and Basic Need ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-25, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9604-:d:880288
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9604/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9604/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Young-Jae Kim & So-Young Lee & Jeong-Hyung Cho, 2020. "A Study on the Job Retention Intention of Nurses Based on Social Support in the COVID-19 Situation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-10, September.
    2. Carole Pélissier & Barbara Charbotel & Jean Baptiste Fassier & Emmanuel Fort & Luc Fontana, 2018. "Nurses’ Occupational and Medical Risks Factors of Leaving the Profession in Nursing Homes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Mihaela Alexandra Gherman & Laura Arhiri & Andrei Corneliu Holman & Camelia Soponaru, 2022. "The Moral Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nurses’ Burnout, Work Satisfaction and Adaptive Work Performance: The Role of Autobiographical Memories of Potentially Morally Injurious Events and Basic P," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-22, June.
    4. Mihai Popescu & Oana Mara Ştefan & Mihai Ştefan & Liana Văleanu & Dana Tomescu, 2022. "ICU-Associated Costs during the Fourth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Hospital in a Low-Vaccinated Eastern European Country," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-11, February.
    5. Haight, Wendy & Sugrue, Erin & Calhoun, Molly & Black, James, 2017. "Everyday coping with moral injury: The perspectives of professionals and parents involved with child protection services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 108-121.
    6. Priya-Lena Riedel & Alexander Kreh & Vanessa Kulcar & Angela Lieber & Barbara Juen, 2022. "A Scoping Review of Moral Stressors, Moral Distress and Moral Injury in Healthcare Workers during COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-20, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Na Li & Lichuan Zhang & Xuejing Li & Qian Lu, 2022. "Moderated Role of Social Support in the Relationship between Job Strain, Burnout, and Organizational Commitment among Operating Room Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-11, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mihaela Alexandra Gherman & Laura Arhiri & Andrei Corneliu Holman & Camelia Soponaru, 2022. "Protective Factors against Morally Injurious Memories from the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nurses’ Occupational Wellbeing: A Cross-Sectional Experimental Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-42, September.
    2. Nesrine Tebbeb & Fanny Villemagne & Thomas Prieur & Solène Dorier & Emmanuel Fort & Thomas Célarier & Luc Fontana & Nathalie Barth & Carole Pélissier, 2022. "COVID-19 Health Crisis Workloads and Screening for Psychological Impact in Nursing Home Staff: A Qualitative and Quantitative Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Daniela Lemmo & Roberta Vitale & Carmela Girardi & Roberta Salsano & Ersilia Auriemma, 2022. "Moral Distress Events and Emotional Trajectories in Nursing Narratives during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-12, July.
    4. Gerber, Lucas A. & Guggenheim, Martin & Pang, Yuk C. & Ross, Timothy & Mayevskaya, Yana & Jacobs, Susan & Pecora, Peter J., 2020. "Understanding the effects of an interdisciplinary approach to parental representation in child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    5. Evija Nagle & Sanita Šuriņa & Ingūna Griškēviča, 2023. "Healthcare Workers’ Moral Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-17, June.
    6. Derong Zeng & Nozomu Takada & Yukari Hara & Shoko Sugiyama & Yoshimi Ito & Yoko Nihei & Kyoko Asakura, 2022. "Impact of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation on Work Engagement: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nurses Working in Long-Term Care Facilities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-13, January.
    7. Sherman, Melina & Klinenberg, Eric, 2024. "Beyond burnout: Moral suffering among healthcare workers in the first COVID-19 surge," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    8. Carlos Eduardo Covantes-Rosales & Victor Wagner Barajas-Carrillo & Daniel Alberto Girón-Pérez & Gladys Alejandra Toledo-Ibarra & Karina Janice Guadalupe Díaz-Reséndiz & Migdalia Sarahy Navidad-Murriet, 2022. "Comparative Analysis of Age, Sex, and Viral Load in Outpatients during the Four Waves of SARS-CoV-2 in A Mexican Medium-Sized City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-9, May.
    9. Haight, Wendy & Cho, Minhae & Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Suleiman, Johara, 2022. "Moral injury experienced by emerging adults with child welfare histories in developmental and sociocultural contexts: “I knew the system was broken.”," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    10. Magnus Helgesson & Staffan Marklund & Klas Gustafsson & Gunnar Aronsson & Constanze Leineweber, 2020. "Interaction Effects of Physical and Psychosocial Working Conditions on Risk for Sickness Absence: A Prospective Study of Nurses and Care Assistants in Sweden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-15, October.
    11. Ana María Porcel-Gálvez & Sergio Barrientos-Trigo & Sara Bermúdez-García & Elena Fernández-García & Mercedes Bueno-Ferrán & Bárbara Badanta, 2020. "The Nursing Stress Scale-Spanish Version: An Update to Its Psychometric Properties and Validation of a Short-form Version in Acute Care Hospital Settings," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-13, November.
    12. Dominik Hinzmann & Katharina Schütte-Nütgen & Arndt Büssing & Olaf Boenisch & Hans-Jörg Busch & Christoph Dodt & Patrick Friederich & Matthias Kochanek & Guido Michels & Eckhard Frick, 2022. "Critical Care Providers’ Moral Distress: Frequency, Burden, and Potential Resources," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Kim Ritchie & Andrea M. D’Alessandro-Lowe & Andrea Brown & Heather Millman & Mina Pichtikova & Yuanxin Xue & Maxwell Altman & Isaac Beech & Mauda Karram & Fardous Hosseiny & Sara Rodrigues & Charlene , 2023. "The Hidden Crisis: Understanding Potentially Morally Injurious Events Experienced by Healthcare Providers during COVID-19 in Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-12, March.
    14. Bekaert, S. & Paavilainen, E. & Schecke, H. & Baldacchino, A. & Jouet, E. & Zabłocka – Żytka, L. & Bachi, B. & Bartoli, F. & Carrà, G. & Cioni, R.M. & Crocamo, C. & Appleton, J.V., 2021. "Family members’ perspectives of child protection services, a metasynthesis of the literature," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    15. Mihaela Alexandra Gherman & Laura Arhiri & Andrei Corneliu Holman & Camelia Soponaru, 2022. "The Moral Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nurses’ Burnout, Work Satisfaction and Adaptive Work Performance: The Role of Autobiographical Memories of Potentially Morally Injurious Events and Basic P," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-22, June.
    16. Ngqabutho Moyo & Anita D. Bhappu & Moment Bhebhe & Farai Ncube, 2022. "Perceived Risk of COVID-19 and Employee Decision-Making: How Psychological Distress during the Pandemic Increases Negative Performance Outcomes among Healthcare Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-16, June.
    17. Haight, Wendy & Waubanascum, Cary & Glesener, David & Marsalis, Scott, 2018. "A scoping study of Indigenous child welfare: The long emergency and preparations for the next seven generations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 397-410.
    18. Cordelia Cho & Wendy Y. K. Ko & Olivia M. Y. Ngan & Wai Tat Wong, 2022. "Exploring Professionalism Dilemma and Moral Distress through Medical Students’ Eyes: A Mixed-Method Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-18, August.
    19. Surabhi Sahay & Wan Wei, 2022. "“Everything Is Changing, but I Am Not Alone”: Nurses’ Perceptions of Social Support during COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, March.
    20. Lara Bellotti & Sara Zaniboni & Cristian Balducci & Gudela Grote, 2021. "Rapid Review on COVID-19, Work-Related Aspects, and Age Differences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-24, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9604-:d:880288. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.