[Moral distress of nurses: literature review]

During their careers, nurses in all fields of the health care systems are likely to experience a period of moral distress at some point during their career. Moral distress has both short and long-terms consequences for the health care system, for the nurses' health as well as for the quality and safety of patient care. The actions to prevent moral distress are still poorly documented. The aim of this article circumscribes the concept of moral distress amongst nurses and proposes interventions that can contribute to its prevention. The psychodynamic of work theoretical framework was chosen to analyze and structure the literature in terms of: the source of suffering at work and the defensives strategies developed by nurses in response to such suffering. Through a review of the literature, this article identifies factors influencing moral distress amongst nurses and the consequences it can have. The interventions identified and interventions proposed represent important recommendations for health organizations and managers seeking to reduce, or even prevent moral distress amongst nurses.