Skip to main content

EthicsinPractice-1.png

Moral distress, caused by constraints that prevent someone from taking actions that they perceive to be morally right, is not uncommon among physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and physical therapy students in today's complex health care environments. The inability to act after considering and deciding on their ethical course of action can lead PTs and PTAs to experience emotional, physical, behavioral, and/or spiritual responses and doubt their moral agency. Residual feelings of doubt and worry can undermine their personal feelings of integrity. Repeated doubting of one's own moral sensitivity can have a negative impact on a professional's future calibration of their own thinking regarding moral decisions.

Log in or create a free account to keep reading.


Join APTA to get unlimited access to content.


You Might Also Like...

Article

Policy Progress and Patient-First Thinking: Takeaways from the 2026 Maley Panel

Mar 23, 2026

APTA Board member Kelley Kubota, PT, DPT, MS, moderated the John H.P. Maley Clinical Impact Lectureship Award panel featuring William Boissonnault, PT,

Article

APTA Offers Insights on the Strategic Implementation of AI in Health Care to HHS

Mar 18, 2026

In February, APTA submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in response to their Request for Information: Accelerating the

News

Coalition Pushes Congress to Repeal MPPR as Part of Medicare Payment Reform

Mar 18, 2026

A coalition of national rehabilitation and health care organizations is urging Congress to repeal the Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction policy. The