Moral injury in Defence Nursing
25 Nov 2026, 13:00 - 14:00
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Join this webinar for an engaging discussion on leadership and moral courage. Exploring how Defence nurses can support their colleagues, their teams, and themselves in an increasingly demanding healthcare landscape.
Defence nurses work in environments where complex ethical decisions, operational demands, and patient care responsibilities can challenge deeply held professional values. This webinar explores the growing significance of moral injury across NHS and Defence healthcare settings and examines what this may mean for future conflict environments. We will discuss how ethical challenges can affect both individuals and teams, the importance of fostering psychologically safe workplaces, and practical approaches to sustaining wellbeing.
Defence nurses operate at the intersection of clinical excellence, operational demands, and complex ethical decision-making. Whether delivering care within the NHS, supporting Defence healthcare, or preparing for future conflict environments, nurses are increasingly required to navigate situations that challenge deeply held professional and personal values.
This webinar will explore the concept of moral injury and its relevance to Defence Nursing today. Drawing on experiences from healthcare practice and operational settings, we will discuss the ethical tensions nurses may face, the impact these experiences can have on wellbeing, and the importance of creating psychologically safe teams. As healthcare and conflict environments continue to evolve, so too must our understanding of how to support those who deliver care under pressure.
Key learning objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Define moral injury and understand its relevance within Defence Nursing and future operational environments.
- Recognise how ethical decision-making and challenging clinical situations can contribute to moral distress and moral injury in nurses.
- Explore the impact of moral injury on individual wellbeing, team performance, patient care, and workforce sustainability.
- Discuss the implications of moral injury in future conflict environments, considering the evolving demands placed upon Defence healthcare personnel.
Learning to key areas of the Defence Nursing Skills Framework, include:
- Mental Health in the Acute Care Setting
- Recognising a Deteriorating Patient
- End of Life Care.
The RCN Defence Forum welcomes speaker Lieutenant Colonel Amos Simms. SO1 Mental Health.
Denise Alexis
denise.alexis@rcn.org.uk
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Page last updated - 28/10/2026
