Moral Distress in Nursing with Rebecca Greenberg

In this episode of A Minute with Maxwell: Mission in Motion, host Heather Maxwell sits down with Rebecca Greenberg, a bioethicist, nurse consultant, and founder of Greenberg Consulting, to explore the often hidden reality of moral distress in healthcare, especially in nursing and long-term care.

Rebecca explains how she transitioned from bedside nursing into bioethics, driven by her early fascination with big philosophical and ethical questions. She shares a powerful story from her time as a nurse caring for a terminally ill patient whose family was not ready to choose a palliative care path, leaving staff to deliver aggressive treatment they felt was causing more harm than good.

Together, Heather and Rebecca unpack:
What is moral distress?
How moral distress shows up in long-term care
Moral distress and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)
Moral distress vs. burnout
Staffing shortages, system pressures, and moral distress
What organizations can do: supports that actually help
Self-care, boundaries, and realistic expectations
Hope, moral resilience, and culture change
Advice to nurses and care professionals

0:00 – Intro: Moral Distress in Healthcare
0:26 – Rebecca’s Early Experience of Moral Stress
1:21 – Meet Bioethicist & Nurse Consultant Rebecca Greenberg
1:52 – From Nursing to Bioethics: Rebecca’s Journey
4:20 – Why Moral Distress Can Be Harder Than Shift Work
5:11 – Case Study: Terminal Cancer, Aggressive Care, and Moral Conflict
6:20 – Moral Distress as a Top Reason Clinicians Leave
6:53 – What Makes This Work Meaningful for Rebecca
8:12 – Defining Moral Distress in Simple Terms
9:59 – How Moral Distress Shows Up in Long-Term Care
10:35 – Emotional, Physical, and Spiritual Impacts
11:21 – Moral Distress and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)
13:21 – Why Naming and Normalizing Moral Distress Matters
14:06 – Organizational Supports: Forums, Debriefs, and Education
16:41 – Psychological Safety & Peer Support in Care Teams
17:27 – “Name It to Tame It”: Reducing Distress by Naming It
18:27 – Being Seen, Heard, and Validated by Leaders
21:25 – Moral Distress, Burnout, and Quality of Care
23:21 – Staffing Shortages, System Pressures, and Moral Tension
25:15 – Focusing on What’s in Your Control
26:16 – Self-Care on Shift: Breaks, Lunch, and Oxygen Mask Metaphor
27:49 – Measuring Success in a Resource-Constrained Reality
28:12 – Cultures That Handle Moral Distress Well vs. Poorly
29:12 – Reasons for Hope: Growing Awareness and Supports
30:16 – Advice for Nurses Experiencing Moral Distress
32:03 – How to Work with Rebecca & Greenberg Consulting
32:57 – Closing Reflections and Call to Ongoing Conversation
33:19 – Outro: About Maxwell Management Group & Podcast Wrap-Up

Website: greenbergconsulting.ca
Social: Search Greenberg Consulting on Instagram or LinkedIn

About Maxwell Management Group

This podcast is brought to you by Maxwell Management Group, a national executive search and education firm specializing in the continuing care sector. For nearly two decades, they’ve partnered with organizations to build values-driven leadership, vibrant workplace cultures, and purpose-led employer brands.

Learn more: maxwellmanagementgroup.com