The Role of Communities of Practice in the Construction of Moral Resilience: an Analysis in the Wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This article addresses the role that communities of practice (CoP) can have within the healthcare environment when facing unknown and highly emotionally impactful situations, such as the current Covid-19 pandemic. The starting point is the recognition that CoPs can contribute to build resilience among their members, and especially moral resilience. Among other, this is due to the fact that they share a reflective space from which shared knowledge is generated, which can be a source of strength and trust for the healthcare team. Specifically, in extreme situations, the CoPs can contribute to cope with moral distress, which will be crucially important not only to face the crisis situation, but to avoid the long-term consequences of working in conditions of great uncertainty.