Moral distress in clinical research nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Ethics
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Clinical research nurses face unique challenges leading to moral distress.
• Moral distress in this specific nursing population has not been previously studied.
• Understanding moral distress is crucial for supporting healthcare professionals in research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine moral distress experienced by clinical research nurses.
• To investigate the relationship between moral distress scores and demographic characteristics.
• To establish a baseline understanding of moral distress in this role.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive quantitative study design was employed.
• The Measure of Moral Distress - Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP) was administered electronically.
• Data from 322 registered nurses were analyzed using SPSS, including Pearson's correlation and ANOVA.

Main Results:

• The mean moral distress score was 79.58 (SD = 64.27), with a wide range (0-354).
• Moral distress scores showed a negative correlation with the age of clinical research nurses (r = -0.156, p < 0.05).
• The MMD-HP demonstrated high reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.93.

Conclusions:

• Clinical research nurses experience moral distress, with significant variability in reported scores.
• Further research is needed to explore patient impact and develop interventions to mitigate moral distress.
• Effective digital recruitment strategies were identified during the COVID-19 pandemic.