The effect of motivational interviewing on ethical decision making and moral distress levels in intensive care...

The study aimed to investigate the effect of motivational interviewing on ethical decision-making and moral distress among intensive care nurses.

Intensive care nurses frequently experience moral distress due to high-risk ethical decisions and motivational interviewing may help them make value-based choices.

The study was conducted as a pre-test, post-test and follow-up randomized controlled trial with control groups.

The study included intensive care nurses (n = 163), with 52 participants completing the study (intervention:26; control:26). Data were collected using the Participant Information Form, the Stage of Change Assessment Questionnaire, the Nursing Ethics Dilemma Test and the Moral Distress Scale. The intervention group received one preparation and five weekly motivational interviewing sessions. Measurements were taken at baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test, independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA.

No significant difference was found between the intervention and control groups in pre-test scores for ethical decision-making and moral distress (p > 0.05). After the motivational interviewing sessions, the mean scores of ethics dilemma post-test (t = 2.850, p < 0.05; t = -5.564, p < 0.001) and follow-up (t = 2.749, p < 0.05; t = -6.187, p < 0.001) test and moral distress in the post-test (t = -6.762, p < 0.001) and follow-up test (t = -8.204, p < 0.001) of the nurses in the intervention group were found to be significantly different from the nurses in the control group. Accordingly, test scores on ethics dilemma tests increased significantly, while moral distress decreased.

The present study concluded that motivational interviewing is effective in promoting ethical decision-making and reducing moral distress among intensive care nurses.