Moral Distress in Nursing and Its Contributors in the Context of Iran

Background and Objectives: Among ultimate goals in the nursing profession are health promotion, disease prevention, and respect for patient rights. In case they are not fulfilled, it can lead to nurses’ moral distress, which can have adverse effects on nurses, patients, and the health system. On the other hand, awareness of this concept and its management can help nurses to solve and manage ethical issues in order to be able to continue nursing. Therefore, this study was conducted to obtain the necessary knowledge and to investigate the factors affecting moral distress among nurses in the context of Iran.. Methods: This narrative review was conducted using English and Persian keywords separately and in combination in valid domestic and international databases. Among the retrieved articles, ۳۱ articles with accessible full-texts published in Persian and English that specifically focused on the context of Iran were incorporated. Results: Some of the factors associated with moral distress included organizational and institutional barriers, communication problems, medical and treatment errors and malpractice, neglect and irresponsibility in treatment, and inappropriate allocation of responsibilities, resources, and competencies. Conclusion: Managers can control and resolve this problem through modifying and enhancing organizational policies and taking measures such as nurse support, stress management training, and sessions to recount stressful events.  

Keywords:

Ethics , Moral distress , Moral sensitivity , Nurses , Iran.