Registered Nurses' and nursing students' perspectives on moral distress and its effects: A mixed‐methods systematic review and thematic synthesis

Abstract

Abstract Aim To examine Registered Nurses (RNs') and nursing students' perspectives on factors contributing to moral distress and the effects on their health, well‐being and professional and career intentions. Design Joanna Briggs Institute mixed‐methods systematic review and thematic synthesis. Registered in Prospero (Redacted). Methods Five databases were searched on 5 May 2021 for studies published in English since January 2010. Methodological quality assessment was conducted in parallel with data extraction. Results Searches yielded 2343 hits. Seventy‐seven articles were included. Most were correlational design and used convenience sampling. Studies were mainly from North America and Asia and situated in intensive and critical care settings. There were common, consistent sources of moral distress across continents, specialities and settings. Factors related to perceived inability or failure to enact moral agency and responsibility in moral events at individual, team and structural levels generated distress. Moral distress had a negative effect on RNs health and psychological well‐being. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution to this systematic review.

Keywords

• mixed‐methods
• moral distress
• nursing students
• nursing workforce
• Registered Nurses
• systematic review