Moral Distress and Pain Management: Implications for Critical Care Nurses

Nurses have an ethical responsibility to manage pain and the suffering derived from it. Given the complexity of patients in the critical care setting and the high incidence of pain experienced by critically ill patients, critical care nurses may experience moral distress when pain is inadequately managed. To address moral distress associated with pain management, critical care nurses should be provided with education on evidence-based pain management practices and encouraged to evaluate their personal biases and beliefs regarding pain management. Furthermore, organizations should consider the implementation of programs to address moral distress stemming from pain management and other precipitating factors.