Burnout vs. Moral Injury — Which One Is Destroying Healthcare?

What if the biggest wound in healthcare can’t be seen?

This episode dives deep into moral injury — what happens when clinicians are forced to act in ways that go against their values. Kristin Walls and Lisa Kohler preview their powerful CSM presentation, "The Invisible Wound," exploring the mental and emotional toll on PTs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

We talk about:
Dehumanizing moments behind PPE
Moral injury vs. burnout
Post-traumatic growth in PT
The rise of wellness movements
Building moral communities to sustain the profession

🎤 This episode is for any healthcare provider who’s felt the emotional weight of their work — and wants a way forward.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 - Intro + Moral Injury explained
2:35 - From the military to medicine: origins of the term
6:45 - Ethics vs. morals in patient care
10:20 - The trauma of treating during COVID
15:55 - Clips from The Pit and multimedia storytelling
18:00 - What PT students and new grads faced
22:00 - Why the Academy of Leadership and Innovation matters
28:15 - National wellness survey + IRB
30:00 - Building sustainable PT through community
31:30 - Parting Shots: Take care of YOU first