Critical Care Nurses’ Moral Distress in South-East of Iran

Objectives: Critical care nurses are the key persons that deal with patients with life-threatening situations, and encounter many situations that may cause different levels of moral distress. This study aimed to assess the level of moral distress of critical care nurses in South-East Iran.

Material and Method: Translated Moral Distress Scale (MDS) consisting of 38-items was used to measure the nurses' level of moral distress and their perception of futile care. There were 141 nurses working in intensive care units (ICU) in South-East of Iran who completed the questionnaires.

Results: Nurses reported a moderate level of moral distress overall. The highest levels of moral distress belonged to the physician practice category. The lowest level of moral distress also belonged to the euthanasia category. Intensity of moral distress was significantly correlated with years of nursing experience.

Conclusion: An appreciative collaboration between critical care nurses and physician lets them to value each other as a health care system. Through such collaborations they can also have ethical meetings and discuss about ethically difficult situations occurred in order to find appropriate resolutions.