Moral distress: an invisible challenge for trauma nurses

It is not known how moral distress is experienced by trauma nurses and how it may affect their ability to provide care to their patients. In particular, how does moral distress affect trauma nurses' ability to perform specific duties when a patient is dying in the specialized trauma unit of the emergency department? This article highlights aspects of moral distress for nurses and proposes specific sources of moral distress in trauma nursing such as futile care. The experiences of trauma nurses are also discussed in relationship to a caring framework of enduring and suffering.