Moral Distress, Health and Intention to Leave: Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions During COVID-19 Pandemic
Introduction Moral distress increases the risk that critical care nurses will lose the ability to provide quality nursing care. Aims To describe person-related conditions and perceptions of moral distress, health and intention to leave among critical care nurses in intensive care units, and to exami...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2023-04-01
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| Series: | SAGE Open Nursing |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608231169218 |
| _version_ | 1797845441252950016 |
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| author | Maria Andersson PhD, CCN, RN Angelica Fredholm Med Dr, RN Anna Nordin PhD, CCN, RN Åsa Engström PhD, CCN, RN |
| author_facet | Maria Andersson PhD, CCN, RN Angelica Fredholm Med Dr, RN Anna Nordin PhD, CCN, RN Åsa Engström PhD, CCN, RN |
| author_sort | Maria Andersson PhD, CCN, RN |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction Moral distress increases the risk that critical care nurses will lose the ability to provide quality nursing care. Aims To describe person-related conditions and perceptions of moral distress, health and intention to leave among critical care nurses in intensive care units, and to examine the relationship between person-related conditions, moral distress, health and intention to leave. Method Cross-sectional, with 220 critical care nurses in 15 Swedish ICUs, and data gathered via a self-reported questionnaire. Results Highest moral distress scores were reported in futile care and poor teamwork and 21% reported entertaining an intention to leave. Self-reported health was lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic and 4.1% reported pronounced exhaustion disorder. Self-reported health, reduced capacity to tolerate demands under time pressure, emotional instability or irritability, physical weakness, or being more easily fatigued and with decreased well-being were factors that had a relationship with futile care. Sleeping problems and intention to leave had a relationship with poor teamwork. Conclusions Different strategies are needed to reduce moral distress and the leadership is crucial for managing crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:39:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fab50e1225ce4465a65b145e3b3d6dde |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2377-9608 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:39:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAGE Open Nursing |
| spelling | doaj.art-fab50e1225ce4465a65b145e3b3d6dde2023-04-17T10:03:34ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open Nursing2377-96082023-04-01910.1177/23779608231169218Moral Distress, Health and Intention to Leave: Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions During COVID-19 PandemicMaria Andersson PhD, CCN, RN0Angelica Fredholm Med Dr, RN1Anna Nordin PhD, CCN, RN2Åsa Engström PhD, CCN, RN3 Department of Health, Education and Technology, Division of Nursing and Medical Technology, Lulea University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden Department of Health Science, Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden Department of Health Science, Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden Department of Health, Education and Technology, Division of Nursing and Medical Technology, Lulea University of Technology, Luleå, SwedenIntroduction Moral distress increases the risk that critical care nurses will lose the ability to provide quality nursing care. Aims To describe person-related conditions and perceptions of moral distress, health and intention to leave among critical care nurses in intensive care units, and to examine the relationship between person-related conditions, moral distress, health and intention to leave. Method Cross-sectional, with 220 critical care nurses in 15 Swedish ICUs, and data gathered via a self-reported questionnaire. Results Highest moral distress scores were reported in futile care and poor teamwork and 21% reported entertaining an intention to leave. Self-reported health was lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic and 4.1% reported pronounced exhaustion disorder. Self-reported health, reduced capacity to tolerate demands under time pressure, emotional instability or irritability, physical weakness, or being more easily fatigued and with decreased well-being were factors that had a relationship with futile care. Sleeping problems and intention to leave had a relationship with poor teamwork. Conclusions Different strategies are needed to reduce moral distress and the leadership is crucial for managing crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608231169218 |
| spellingShingle | Maria Andersson PhD, CCN, RN Angelica Fredholm Med Dr, RN Anna Nordin PhD, CCN, RN Åsa Engström PhD, CCN, RN Moral Distress, Health and Intention to Leave: Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions During COVID-19 Pandemic SAGE Open Nursing |
| title | Moral Distress, Health and Intention to Leave: Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions During COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Moral Distress, Health and Intention to Leave: Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions During COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Moral Distress, Health and Intention to Leave: Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions During COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Moral Distress, Health and Intention to Leave: Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions During COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Moral Distress, Health and Intention to Leave: Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions During COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | moral distress health and intention to leave critical care nurses perceptions during covid 19 pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608231169218 |
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