Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- Hedayat Jafari 1
- Mahbobeh Yaghobian 2
- Morteza Darabi Nia 3
- Abolfazl Hosseinnataj 4
- Pooyan Ghorbani Vajargah 5
- Samad Karkhah 6
- Maryam Anneh-Mohammadzadeh 7
1 Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
2 School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
3 Department of Islamic Thought, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
4 Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
5 Burn and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
6 Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
7 Nasibeh School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: This research aimed to determine the frequency and severity of moral distress (MD) and its associated factors among emergency department’s nurses.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 on 172 nurses from the emergency departments of medical training centers affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. The data collection process employed the census method, wherein demographic characteristics and Corley's MD questionnaire were utilized. Data analysis was conducted via SPSS software version 22 utilizing an independent T-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regressions.
Results: Out of 172 nurses, 60.5% were women with average age of 32.52±6.88 years. The results demonstrated an average MD score of 69.73±25.68. Approximately 53.5% of the individuals experienced MD at a low level (0-72) in terms of frequency and intensity, whereas the remaining 46.5% reported experiencing it at a medium level (14-73). A substantial association was observed between MD and the variables of age (P=0.037), workplace hospital (P=0.005), and history of mental disorders (P=0.005). Furthermore, the use of linear regression analysis revealed a statistically significant association between MD and marital status and employment type (P<0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results, nurses had low to moderate levels of MD. Numerous factors, including age, history of mental disorders, marital status, employment type, workplace hospital and education, were associated with the total MD score. To reduce MD and its negative effects on nurses, it is necessary to address these factors and appropriately plan to identify and manage MD so as to improve the quality of nursing care.
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