The Effect of Occupational Moral Injury on Career Abandonment Intention Among Physicians in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians have been the unsung heroes of the pandemic. However, many are about to give up the battlefield. This study investigated the effect of occupational moral injury on physicians' career abandonment intention, taking into account the possible mediating role of emotional exhaustion. METHODS: Cross-sectional data collected from 201 physicians were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS to determine the relationship among physicians' moral injuries, emotional exhaustion, and career abandonment intention. RESULTS: The results indicated that occupational moral injury was positively related to emotional exhaustion and career abandonment intention. In addition, emotional exhaustion was found to play a mediating role in the relationship. CONCLUSION: To reduce physicians' intention to leave their career, physicians should be prepared for moral injury and psychological issues by offering psychological support and meeting their needs early at both the individual and organizational levels during and after the pandemic.