Relationship Between Moral Distress and Intent to Leave a Position Among Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Ethics
• Neonatal Care

Background:

• Moral distress is a recognized issue in healthcare, yet its specific impact on neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses remains under-researched.
• Existing literature lacks a clear understanding of the link between moral distress and the intention to leave a position among NICU nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and nature of moral distress experienced by NICU nurses.
• To utilize the Measure of Moral Distress for Health Care Professionals (MMD-HP) survey to assess moral distress in this population.

Main Methods:

• A national, cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study was conducted.
• An electronic survey, the MMD-HP, was distributed to members of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN).
• Data were collected from NICU nurses between March 27 and April 8, 2020.

Main Results:

• Out of 75 NICU nurses who completed the survey, 65 were included in the analysis.
• Five specific situations within the MMD-HP survey yielded composite scores exceeding 400.
• A significant percentage of NICU nurses reported considering (41.5%) or actually leaving (23.1%) their positions due to moral distress.

Conclusions:

• NICU nurses reporting higher scores on the MMD-HP survey demonstrate a greater likelihood of leaving their positions.
• Findings underscore the urgent need for strategies to mitigate moral distress and prevent nurse attrition in NICU settings.
• Further longitudinal research is essential to identify and address the root causes of moral distress among NICU nurses.