Coping with moral distress – The experiences of intensive care nurses: An interpretive descriptive study

Abstract

BackgroundOver the last three decades, there has been a growing body of literature that has described moral distress as a prominent issue that negatively affects intensive care nurses. Yet, little focus has been given to how intensive care nurses cope and continue in their practice despite being exposed to moral distress. ObjectiveTo describe intensive care nurses’ experiences of coping with moral distress. Research methods/settingA qualitative design using an interpretative descriptive approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven intensive care nurses. FindingsThe shared experience of coping with moral distress was explicated through the overarching theme of being Like Grass in the Wind. Four major themes emerged: Going Against What I Think is Best, Moral Distress - It’s Just Inherent in Our Job, It Just Felt Awful, and Dealing with It. The findings also reflected actions associated with turning towards or turning away from morally distressing situations. ConclusionBy developing coping strategies such as seeking social support, nurses can move forward in their practice and meaningfully engage with patients and families experiencing critical illness. When successful coping is not attained, nurses are at risk of becoming morally disengaged within their practice.