Moral distress: a labor and delivery nurse's experience

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Nursing Practice
• Bioethics

Background:

• Moral distress is a significant issue in healthcare, particularly for nurses.
• It arises when nurses face ethical dilemmas where they cannot implement their moral decisions.
• Understanding the impact of moral distress is crucial for nurse well-being and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate a real-life case of moral distress experienced by a nurse.
• To analyze the nurse's experience using a moral distress equation framework.
• To examine the effects of this moral distress on the nurse and subsequent patient care.

Main Methods:

• A case study approach detailing a specific clinical event.
• Application of a moral distress equation as an analytical framework.
• Qualitative description of the nurse's experience and its consequences.

Main Results:

• The case highlights a situation where a nurse witnessed a premature infant's death without intervention, leading to moral distress.
• The moral distress equation provided a structured way to understand the nurse's ethical conflict and emotional response.
• The nurse's experience had discernible effects on her and her approach to patient care.

Conclusions:

• Moral distress can profoundly impact nurses, stemming from situations where ethical decisions conflict with actions.
• Frameworks like the moral distress equation are valuable tools for analyzing and addressing these experiences.
• Addressing moral distress is essential for supporting nurses and ensuring quality patient care.