Clinical ethics residency for nurses: an education model to decrease moral distress and strengthen nurse retention in...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Healthcare Professional Well-being
• Medical Education

Background:

• Unaddressed moral distress in nurses contributes to burnout, patient care compromises, and staff turnover.
• Nurses' ethical decision-making confidence and moral agency are crucial for mitigating moral distress.
• Empowered nurses can serve as vital ethics resources within healthcare institutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a grant-funded educational model designed to enhance ethics competence among nursing staff.
• To provide a framework for institutions seeking to address and reduce moral distress.
• To foster greater ethical decision-making abilities and moral agency in nurses.

Main Methods:

• A grant-funded model education program was implemented.
• The program focused on increasing ethics competence across the institution.
• Specific pedagogical approaches and curriculum details are implied but not elaborated.

Main Results:

• The program is designed to increase ethics competence.
• Implicitly, the program aims to equip nurses with tools to combat moral distress.
• The model serves as a proactive strategy for improving the ethical climate.

Conclusions:

• Investing in ethics education can enhance nurses' moral agency and decision-making skills.
• Such programs are essential for preventing nurse attrition and improving patient care.
• This model offers a scalable solution for institutional ethics support.