Acute care nurses' experiences of moral certainty

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Qualitative Research
• Healthcare Professional Experience

Background:

• Moral certainty is a frequent yet underexplored experience for nurses.
• It presents a dichotomy, offering comfort and driving action while potentially stifling ethical discourse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of acute care nurses regarding moral certainty.
• To describe nurses' responses, motivations, and clinical triggers associated with moral certainty.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative design utilizing in-depth interviews with 20 acute care nurses.
• Data analysis employed Colaizzi's method for phenomenological research.

Main Results:

• Nurses' primary responses to moral certainty included 'speaking up', 'standing up', and 'refusing to participate'.
• The study details the nuances of these responses, their underlying reasons, and the clinical contexts prompting them.

Conclusions:

• Moral certainty in nursing possesses both beneficial and detrimental aspects.
• Encouraging open dialogue and consideration of alternative viewpoints is recommended to mitigate negative impacts.