Moral Distress

Moral Distress

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc378180546” Introduction PAGEREF _Toc378180546 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378180547” Impacts of moral distress PAGEREF _Toc378180547 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378180548” Ways of improving the level of moral distress at the work place/Hospital PAGEREF _Toc378180548 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378180549” Conclusions PAGEREF _Toc378180549 h 3

IntroductionThe state in which people experience the psychological disequilibrium, or any discomforts that affects their physical health, anxiety and those results which are anguished by making decisions which are moral but which do not go hand in hand with the stated moral behaviors are said to be moral distress. It can also be defined as an experience of people to know what is acceptable, that is, the right things which people should do in order to pursue courses of actions which are right.

There are related factors at work places such as in hospitals which does not cause moral distresses to the nurses. For example in cases where nurses do not allow things like terminating ventilators to ill people or anyone, by doing so, the nurse would have lacked the moral distress by putting terminating ventilators to ill people. Moral distress can only result from any nurse who is not acting on her own moral belief, as well as, suffering from inaction (Smith.2008).

According to Moyet, the care of ill patients typically requires integrations of technical skills, which are, very high with psychological as well as spiritual support to patients also to the families. The care mostly presents the nurses with critical challenges of making a proper morals or ethics decisions. Many concerns have been spoken out in nursing literature as well as general media, which talks about, the shortages of nurses in the healthcare system (Moyet, 2008)..

Impacts of moral distressMoral distress has some significant consequences which includes stress, other significant consequences are a consequence in job dissatisfaction, burnout, as well as departure from places of work, although no information are available about moral distress that affects the nursing care quality. Moral distress has got some impact on people hence in order to avoid distress, there should be stress reducing techniques which when are used positively it can have positive effects but if the nurses has very poor coping skills it can reflect in stress reducing the techniques that they are using.

Moyet reports that there are pictures which are mixed in regarding the impacts of moral distress, about the moral distress particularly on the provision of care and findings suggesting that moral distress does not have negative impacts on care and other people suggesting that the moral distress can only result in nurses. Moyet on the other hand came into conclusions that moral agony leads to many nurses resigning from their work places (Moyet, 2008).

Ways of improving the level of moral distress at the work place/HospitalFor the last four decades, many evidences have shown that the work of nursing has been a stressful work to the nurses. Stresses affect nurses’ health, the well-being of people, and the job satisfaction, the negatively impacts in many organizations in terms of absenteeism, psychological, emotional stress, and turnover. Stress mostly results when nurses are exposed to unclear moral situations, also when nurses are prevented from carrying out some tasks which they were supposed to have done or carried out.

Moral distress in the working places such as hospitals can be improved by observing the source of distress in work related places, and ways in which observing the symptoms of the distress within the team members. Hence nurses who work in various hospitals should be aware that the moral distress is something which is present. Another way of improving the level of the moral distress at the work place is by affirming the distress and commitments to take care of it. On the other hand, one should try to validate their feelings, as well as, perceptions with other people in the organization.

Moral distress at the work place can be improved by identifying the sources of distress. The sources of distress can either be a personal distress or may come from the entire environment. Nurses should make sure that they determine all the severity of their distress, and to contemplate their readiness to act on them, this is where the nurses recognize that there are issues, but they still take the risks of changing the stated action, on the other hand, they should analyze the risks and benefits of the moral distress.

Lastly, the level of moral distress can be improved by getting prepared to act. This is by preparing personally as well as professionally by taking action. After a person is done with the action stated, the nurses should be ready of taking the action by implementing the strategies of initiating the changes that are desired.

ConclusionsIn summary, the nurses who are taking care of the ill people have got intense plus frequent experiences of the moral distress. The idea of providing the aggressive care to all patients is not expected to be advantaged from the critical care as it is the main source caused by the moral distress. The critical care nurses should identify a significant and a wide-ranging implication to moral distress which extends well, in retention and beyond the job satisfaction. Moral distress sometimes tends to be a serious issue in the workplace as well as deserving an urgent plus extended attention (Masters, 2012).

References

Masters, K. (2012). Nursing theories: a framework for professional practice. London: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Moyet, L. J. (2006). Nursing diagnosis: application to clinical practice (11th ed.). New Yolk: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Smith, M. J., & Liehr, P. R. (2008). Middle Range Theory for Nursing (2nd ed.). New York: Springer Pub. Co..