ana definition of moral distress
In his classic work on nursing ethics, Jameton (1984) defined moral distress as occurring when one knows the right thing to do, but institutional constraints make it nearly impossible to pursue the right course of action (p. 6). Perhaps the nurses’ perception of the organization environment plays a greater. role in moral distress than the individual characteristics of the nurse, however, both must be. considered as contributors to moral distress. Further findings indicated that nurses had considered leaving the unit due to moral distress. In a literature review by Schluter et al. (2008), contributing causes of moral distress were. categorized as poor quality, futile care, and unrealistic hope. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship. between ethical work environment and moral distress frequency, the relationship between. ethical work environment and moral distress intensity, and the relationship between ethical work. environment and overall job satisfaction. For the purposes of this article, this definition has been extrapolated: Moral distress is the physical or emotional suffering that is experienced when constraints (internal or external) prevent one from following the course of action that one believes is right. With more responsibility than authority, nurses often lack the autonomy to do what they feel should be done. Nurses often seem unaware of moral distress experience in themselves. Feelings labeled as stress, burnout, emotional exhaustion, and job dissatisfaction may actually be symptomatic of moral distress. Recently , researchers have expanded this definition by defining moral distress as  the painful psychological disequilibrium that results from recognizing the ethically appropriate action , yet not taking it , because of such obstacles as lack of time , supervisory reluctance , an inhibiting medical power structure , institution policy , or legal ... Findings from this study indicated that the Moral Distress Scale was. valid and reliable. One tenet of the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics for Nurses. (2012) is promoting an environment that is respectful of individuals, families and communities. A Pearson Product Moment Correlation was conducted to. determine the relationship between ethical climate and frequency of moral distress. There was. a weak to moderate relationship ( r = - .255; p = .046), but there was a negative relationship. Moral distress is the physical or emotional suffering that is experienced when constraints (internal or external) prevent one from following the course of action that one believes is right. With more responsibility than authority, nurses often lack the autonomy to do what they feel should be done. Nurses often seem unaware of moral distress experience in themselves. Feelings labeled as stress, burnout, emotional exhaustion, and job dissatisfaction may actually be symptomatic of moral distress. Recognizing moral distress is an important step toward resolution, yet many nurses are unaware of how it may be manifested. Examples from current literature along with vignettes from the author's experience are presented to illustrate the concept. Dueling expectations.
The physical or emotional suffering that is experienced when constraints prevent one from following the course of action that one believes is right.