Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2025
07:14
A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: January 18, 2018
9.3K
Inductive process of moral distress development in viewpoints from surgical nurses: a mixed-method study
Azam Hosseinpour1, Fatemeh Keshmiri2,3
1Department of Operating Room, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
BMC Nursing
|March 22, 2024
Summary
Nurses experience moderate moral distress in surgical and operating units, driven by healthcare provider roles and systemic issues. Individual factors like weak assertiveness and desensitization exacerbate distress, leading to negative consequences.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Healthcare Ethics
- Medical Psychology
Background:
- Moral distress is a complex issue influenced by individual, cultural, and systemic factors.
- Nurses in surgical and operating units face unique challenges contributing to moral distress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency and intensity of nurses' moral distress.
- To explore nurses' experiences with moral distress risk factors.
- To develop a conceptual model of moral distress risk factors in surgical and operating units.
Main Methods:
- Sequential mixed-method study involving 180 nurses across four teaching hospitals.
- Quantitative data collected via the Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R) questionnaire.
- Qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews analyzed using conventional content analysis.
Main Results:
- Nurses reported moderate frequency and moderately high intensity of moral distress.
- The 'role of healthcare providers' was the most significant cause of moral distress.
- Qualitative findings revealed an 'Inductive process of moral distress development' involving system integration, power dynamics, and perceived consequences.
Conclusions:
- Moral distress in surgical and operating units is at a moderate to moderately high level.
- An 'inductive moral process' influenced by systemic and individual factors contributes to distress.
- Systemic factors (lack of support, mobbing) and individual factors (weak assertiveness, desensitization) negatively impact nurses.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Ethical Dilemmas I
886
Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
886
01:27Ethical Issues
941
Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
941
01:08Obedience
32.9K
According to obedience research, we may harm others under the forceful pressures of an authority figure (Milgram, 1974). How about if the inappropriate orders were delivered with less force? The increasing interdependence between nurses and physicians compelled Hofling and his colleagues to explore nurses’ reactions to a potentially harmful medical request made by the perceived authority figure, the doctor (Hofling, Brotzman, Dalrymple, Graves, & Pierce, 1966). In this situation,...
32.9K
01:29Nursing Code of Ethics
2.3K
The Nursing Code of Ethics sets the ethical benchmark for the profession, and guides nurses in ethical analysis and decision making at the societal, organizational, and clinical levels. The code encompasses showing compassion and respect for the patient, their families, and communities in all circumstances while committing to providing patient-centered care. In addition, the code states that nurses must advocate for the patient by defending a cause or recommendation to protect their rights,...
2.3K
01:18The Scientific Method in Nursing Process
10.3K
The scientific method provides the foundation for any research. It is the most reliable and objective of all forms of gaining knowledge and guides in applying research-based evidence in practice and conducting future research.
When using research findings to change practice, one must understand the process used to guide a study. The scientific method is a systematic, step-by-step process that supports the data's validity, reliability, and generalizability. As a result, findings can be...
When using research findings to change practice, one must understand the process used to guide a study. The scientific method is a systematic, step-by-step process that supports the data's validity, reliability, and generalizability. As a result, findings can be...
10.3K
01:25Ethical Standards I
799
The American Nurses Association (ANA) created and implemented the first nationally accepted Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Code of Ethics is a living document regularly updated by the ANA and establishes an ethical standard that is non-negotiable for nurses in all roles and settings.
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
799