Have you ever had the sick feeling you wanted to make the right decision ethically, but couldn't because your boss or the system in which you work wouldn't let you? That's called moral distress, and it's something people like me feel all the time.

Moral distress is especially common among people in health care who tend to take orders rather than give them. Studies show as many as 80% of nurses experience moral distress at work. It's one of the main reasons why nurses quit the profession.

Last winter, I had the pleasure of traveling to Nanaimo, BC, where my host was Stephanie Buckingham, a professor of Nursing at Vancouver Island University. She asked me to do a q and a with her students. After the q and a, I sat down with Stephanie and several of her students for a little q and a of my own.

What transpired was an extraordinary discussion of moral distress that affects nurses on a daily basis. You'll hear about the kinds of issues that adversely affect the care you receive, and the struggle of young nurses to reconcile that with their nursing ethics.

I wanted to extend a special note of thanks to Stephanie. She has provided a safe, inviting place where students can reflect upon the work they do and the choices their jobs force them to make.

Catch WCBA Saturday November 14 at 10 am (1030 NT) with re-broadcast on Monday November 16 at 1130 am (330 pm NT) on CBC Radio One.

Update: you can also download the podcast.