Moral distress reduction using moral case deliberation in Japan: A mixed-methods study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Healthcare Professional Well-being
• Moral Psychology

Background:

• Nurses frequently experience moral distress due to ethically challenging situations.
• Existing support programs may not adequately address the complexities of moral distress in acute care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a support program for nurses based on moral case deliberation (MCD).
• To assess the program's effectiveness in reducing moral distress and its feasibility for implementation.

Main Methods:

• An intervention study with pre/post-comparison design was conducted.
• The program involved a lecture and three MCD sessions for acute care nurses.
• Quantitative (MMD-HP, Euro-MCD 2.0) and qualitative data were collected.

Main Results:

• Moral distress scores (MMD-HP) showed a non-significant increase (p=0.375).
• Moral competence scores (Euro-MCD 2.0 sub-scale) significantly increased post-intervention (p=0.036).
• Qualitative analysis indicated increased moral sensitivity and improved analytical skills.

Conclusions:

• The MCD-based support program shows potential for improving nurses' moral competence.
• Qualitative findings suggest intervention effectiveness in enhancing ethical reasoning and sensitivity.
• Further research is warranted to optimize programs for moral distress reduction.