The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unprecedented exposure to Potentially Morally Injurious Events (PMIEs) for nurses, in which they were both moral transgressors and moral victims, with deleterious consequences on their psycho-social health and functioning. Our experimental design compared memories of PMIEs with memories of severe moral transgressions (SMTs), in which participants were only moral transgressors. Drawing from Self-Determination Theory and research on moral auto-biographical episodic memories, we assessed a conceptual model describing the impact of recalling a single PMIE or SMT event on nurses’ burnout, work satisfaction and adaptive performance. Our convenience sample comprised 614 Romanian nurses, and data was analyzed with path analysis, general linear modelling, and t-tests. Findings showed that memories of PMIEs, compared to SMTs, were more autonomy thwarting, being associated with more controlled work motivation, less moral learning, higher burnout, less work satisfaction, and adaptive performance. Burnout, moral learning, and work satisfaction were significant mediators of the relationships between PMIE and SMT recall and, respectively, adaptive performance. Our results highlight the urgency for organizational practices of moral repair for nurses after the pandemic, along with interventions meant to increase their autonomy and self-determined work motivation.

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.

Background and Objectives: The beginning of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic period has had a strong impact on patients’ life, but also on doctors. The main goal of this research is to identify the difficulties related to the professional activity and personal life of obstetrics and gynecology doctors. Material and Methods: In total, 94 physicians from a single university center answered to an online questionnaire. Socio-demographic, health, family, and job-related data were collected. Data were processed using SPSS (v.25). Results: 7.4% of the doctors were confirmed infected with SARS-Cov-2 during the first 6 months of the pandemic, and 48.94% treated infected patients. Due to the large number of patients, 10.64% of the doctors have had no days-off during the last 6 months, and 22.34% of them have had new medical problems that led them to see a specialist. Seventeen to nineteen percent mentioned an increasing number of working hours and shifts per month due to the pandemic period, more than 10% used pills to cope with work-stress, and 25% of them had sleep disorders along with appetite loss. Extra-protection rules and negative consequences of wearing special equipment were identified: thermal discomfort that caused decreasing resistance and concentration during the surgery (52%), reduced mobility and accuracy of surgical or medical gestures (40%), and intraoperative visibility (47%). Doctors who were working with confirmed pregnant women preferred caesarean section. Conclusions: Working under the stress of an infection with SARS-Cov-2 is causing a lot of pressure and determines changes in personal, familial, social, and professional life. Understanding the challenges that ob-gyn doctors are facing will help institutions to better provide support.

Background/Aims: Stress, in its various forms, plays an important role in the development and evolution of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). For patients with IBD, the evidence related to the effects of various types of psychological therapies remains inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate whether cognitive behavioral therapy, in combination with educational counseling, influenced disease activity and quality of life (QoL) among patients with IBD. Materials and Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 60 patients diagnosed with IBD. All patients completed the IBD questionnaire-32 (IBDQ-32) and the Big Five Inventory. Group A (experimental group) received specialized educational and psychological counseling (SEPC), and group B (control group) was treated according to the current medical practice. All patients were reassessed after 12 months. Results: After the SEPC, there was no improvement in disease activity as estimated by fecal calprotectin levels. However, the QoL of patients in group A was significantly improved. The highest mean difference between the initial and final IBDQ scores was found among patients whose main personality trait was openness to experience (48.58±28.80), and the lowest mean difference between these 2 scores was found among patients whose main personality trait was closedness to experience (3.33±2.97, p=0.009). Conclusion: Although there was no improvement in disease activity after the SEPC, this therapy improved patients’ QoL in terms of both emotional and social functions, especially among patients whose dominant personality trait was openness to experience or neuroticism.

As individuals grow older, they experience notable shifts in their health conditions, social positions, and personal identity. Studies show that finding meaning in life correlates with healthier lifestyle choices and enhanced overall well-being. This sense of meaning functions as a protective factor against life’s challenges, strengthening resilience during later years. The research utilized thematic analysis within a qualitative methodology to investigate the subjective sources of meaning among elderly people living in Romanian institutional settings. The analysis revealed several interconnected themes. Religiosity and spirituality emerged as a fundamental anchor, with participants often mentioning God, Divinity, and Higher Power in their narratives. They typically conceptualized life as a sacred gift and emphasized the importance of religious practices such as prayer and church attendance as essential to their sense of purpose. The intergenerational transmission of values also proved significant, with elderly individuals finding meaning in passing down moral and spiritual principles to younger family members, viewing this as their enduring legacy. Interpersonal connections played a crucial role as well, with quality relationships with family and friends fostering a sense of belonging, while broken relationships or isolation negatively impacted well-being. Daily life objectives, including short-term goals like maintaining routines or anticipating family visits, along with preserving functional independence, provided structure and immediate purpose for many participants. The research distinguished between religiosity and spirituality as related but separate concepts: while formal religious rituals offered community-based meaning, those less engaged with organized religion discovered transcendence through personal spiritual experiences such as connecting with nature. This study highlights cultural specificities, particularly how Orthodox Christian traditions shape existential narratives among Romanian elderly, and proposes practical interventions for retirement facilities to incorporate activities focused on spiritual engagement, relationship building, and opportunities for elders to share their wisdom with younger generations.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a fertile ground for nurses’ exposure to self- and other-Potentially Morally Injurious Events (PMIEs). Our study explored the effects of nurses’ memories of self- and other-PMIEs on occupational wellbeing and turnover intentions. Using an experimental design on a convenience sample of 634 Romanian nurses, we tested a conceptual model with PLS-SEM, finding adequate explanatory and predictive power. Memories of self- and other-PMIEs were uniquely associated with work engagement, burnout, and turnover intentions, compared to a control group. These relationships were mediated by the three basic psychological needs. Relatedness was more thwarted for memories of other-PMIEs, while competence and autonomy were more thwarted for memories of self-PMIEs. Perceived supervisor support weakened the indirect effect between type of PMIE and turnover intentions, through autonomy satisfaction, but not through burnout. Self-disclosure weakened the indirect effect between type of PMIE and turnover intentions, through autonomy satisfaction, and both burnout and work engagement. Our findings emphasize the need for different strategies in addressing the negative long-term effects of nurses’ exposure to self- and other-PMIEs, according to the basic psychological need satisfaction and type of wellbeing indicator.