Moral angst for surgical residents: a qualitative study.
BACKGROUND
The ethical dilemmas that residents experience throughout their training have not been explored qualitatively from surgical residents' perspectives.


METHODS
Grounded theory methodology was used. All University of Toronto surgical, otolaryngology, and obstetrics and gynecology residents were invited to participate. Twenty-eight face-to-face interviews were conducted. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed by 3 reviewers.


RESULTS
Five encompassing themes emerged: (1) residents prefer operating with another resident while the staff watches; (2) residents felt that patients were rarely well informed about their role; (3) residents develop good relationships with patients; (4) residents felt ethically obliged to disclose intraoperative errors; and (5) residents experience ethical distress in certain teaching circumstances.


CONCLUSIONS
Residents encounter ethical dilemmas leading to moral angst during their surgical training and need to feel safe to discuss these openly. Staff and residents should work together to establish optimal communication and teaching situations.
Knifed
Eva
E
Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Goyal
Aunshu
A
Bernstein
Mark
M
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000941:ethics; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000941:ethics; D028681:Moral Obligations; D033262:Narration; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education; D009864:Ontario; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000193:education; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design; D018401:Sample Size; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000193:education* / Q000941:ethics*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D014342:Truth Disclosure / Q000941:ethics