Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
Published on: January 17, 2025
Moral distress thermometer: Swedish translation, cultural adaptation and validation
Catarina Fischer Grönlund1, Ulf Isaksson1, Margareta Brännström1
1Umeå University.
Background:
Moral distress is a problem and negative experience among health-care professionals. Various instruments have been developed to measure the level and underlying reasons for experienced moral distress. The moral distress thermometer (MDT) is a single-tool instrument to capture the level of moral distress experienced in real-time.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to translate the MDT and adapt it to the Swedish cultural context.
Research Design:
The first part of this study concerns the translation of MDT to the Swedish context, and the second part the psychometric testing of the Swedish version.
Participants And Research Context:
89 healthcare professionals working at a hospital in northern Sweden participated. Convergent validity was tested between MDT and Measure of Moral Distress-Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP), and construct validity was tested by comparing MDT scores among healthcare professionals. MDT was compared with responses to the final questions in MMD-HP. One-way ANOVA, Welch's ANOVA, Games-Howell post-hoc test and Pearson's correlation analysis were done.
Ethical Considerations:
The study was approved by the Swedish Ethics Review Authority (dnr 2020-04120) in accordance with Helsinki Declaration.
Results:
The translated Swedish version of MDT was described as relevant to capture the experience of moral distress. The mean value for MDT was 2.26, with a median of 2 and a mode value of 0. The result showed moderate correlations between the MDT and MMD-HP total scores. There was a significant difference when comparing MDT and healthcare professionals who had never considered leaving their present position with those who had left and those who had considered leaving but had not done so, with the latter assessing significantly higher moral distress.
Conclusion:
The MDT is an easily available instrument useful as an extension to MMD-HP to measure the real-time experience of moral distress among healthcare professionals in a Swedish context.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:22Self-Report Tests of Personality
01:14Assessing Body Temperature - Oral
Step 1:
Start by practicing proper hand hygiene to prevent the spread of microorganisms.
Step 2:
Take the thermometer out of the charging unit, switch it on, and wait for the ready sign.
Step 3:
Gently slide the probe cover until a click is heard. This simple action prevents cross-contamination and ensures the correct placement of the probe cover.
Step 4:
Instruct the patient to open their mouth and place...
01:19Assessing Body Temperature - Temporal Artery
Step 1: Perform hand hygiene and don a fresh pair of gloves to prevent cross-infection and ensure patient safety.
Step 2: Explain the procedure to the patient to establish trust. Clear communication establishes trust with the patient, ensures they understand what to expect, promotes cooperation, and enhances comfort during the procedure.
Step 3: Assess the patient's...
01:20Lazarus's Cognitive Appraisal Theory
Primary Appraisal:...
01:27Assessing Body Temperature - Rectal
Follow these steps for rectal temperature assessment:
Step 1: Perform hand hygiene and don clean gloves to prevent cross-infection.
Step 2: Position the patient in a side-lying position to better visualize the rectal...