The experience of moral distress in nurses has been researched primarily in acute care settings. Little research has been done investigating moral distress in nurses working in long-term care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of moral distress in a sample of registered nurses working in a long-term care facility. Using semi-structured interviews, a series of open-ended questions were used to gather information. Five clinical nurses and one administrator were interviewed. Interviews were audio-taped for accuracy in transcription. Audio-taped interviews were transcribed and major themes identified. All of the nurses interviewed acknowledged that they had experienced moral distress. While most nurses reported negative effects from moral distress, many nurses reported positive outcomes from the experience. Overall nurses felt their moral distress did not impact the quality of care delivered to nursing home residents. Nurses in this study related that even though they had experienced moral distress, there were many structures present within the nursing home to help them manage their distress.
Session #1222 - Undergraduate Submissions
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)