Moral Distress and Self-efficacy among Nurses Working in Critical Care Unit in Iran-An Analytical Study

Abstract

Introduction: Moral distress is one of the major issues that can affect the healthcare system adversely and is defined as discomfort in mental peace and it occurs as a result of failure to take appropriate moral actions despite knowing it. Aim: To determine the average frequency and intensity of moral distress and its relationship with self-efficacy in nurses working in Critical care units. Materials and Methods: This study was analytic one, conducted on 300 nurses working in critical care unit selected through simple random sampling method. The data were collected using demographic characteristics questionnaire, Corley’s moral distress scale, and Riggs et al., self-efficacy beliefs questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed a moderate level of moral distress among Critical care unit nurses in both frequency and intensity. Also, the results showed that different wards affect frequency and intensity of moral distress in nurses differently, as ICU nurses experienced higher moral distress than nurses of other Department in this study. A significant relationship was observed between intensity (p=0.03 and r=-0.19) and frequency of moral distress (p=0.03 and r=-0.14) and perceived self-efficacy in nurses. Conclusion: This study showed that there is a significant negative relationship between moral distress and the level of perceived self-efficacy i.e., by an increase in moral distress, the level of perceived self-efficiency in nurses decreases.

Keywords

• job satisfaction
• moral distress
• morals
• nursing ethics
• psychological stress