Managing a therapy and taking care of patients will requires extensive knowledge, high competence, skills as well as the necessary cooperation within a therapeutic team. However, this process will not always go as smoothly as the medical personnel would like. It may be accompanied by numerous dilemmas, including those of moral nature which can lead to moral anxiety. It is associated with such situations in which the staff are not able to provide a patient with a care which – in their opinion in the present situation would be adequate to the needs and consistent with the best interests of the patient. The occurrence of moral distress may be related to the state of health of the patient, internal factors related to a person who looks after as well as to external constraints. It can lead to adverse effects which appear in anyone experiencing it, but also can have a negative impact on the quality of the patient’s care. The occurrence of moral distress in the work of medical personnel is a negative phenomenon, but often encountered daily practice. Therefore, it is important to prevent both its occurrence and its negative effects. The study is aimed at presenting the phenomenon of moral anxiety occurring in the work of medical and caring personnel.

Key words: moral distress, health care.