Moral stress, moral climate and moral sensitivity among psychiatric professionals

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between work-related moral stress, moral climate and moral sensitivity in mental health nursing. By means of the three scales Hospital Ethical Climate Survey, Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire and Work-Related Moral Stress, 49 participants' experiences were assessed. The results of linear regression analysis indicated that moral stress was determined to a degree by the work place's moral climate as well as by two aspects of the mental health staff's moral sensitivity. The nurses' experience of 'moral burden' or 'moral support' increased or decreased their experience of moral stress. Their work-related moral stress was determined by the job-associated moral climate and two aspects of moral sensitivity. Our findings showed an association between three concepts: moral sensitivity, moral climate and moral stress. Despite being a small study, the findings seem relevant for future research leading to theory development and conceptual clarity. We suggest that more attention be given to methodological issues and developing designs that allow for comparative research in other disciplines, as well as in-depth knowledge of moral agency.

Sensibilidade Moral Dos Enfermeiros Avaliada Por Scoping Review

“…Foram identificadas 774 publicações sobre o tema, das quais 28 foram selecionadas para integrar a amostra, sendo esta composta por 19 estudos originais (1)(2)(4)(5)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25) e nove estudos teóricos (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34) . Todos os estudos incluídos estavam publicados em inglês.…”

“…Quanto ao tema, 16 estudos abordavam a sensibilidade moral (2,(4)(5)(11)(12)(13)(14)16,19,(21)(22)(24)(25)(27)(28)(29) e 12 estudos abordavam a sensibilidade ética (1,15,(17)(18)20,23,26,(30)(31)(32)(33)(34) . Quanto ao ano de publicação, os estudos selecionados distribuíram-se entre 2000 e 2015 (Figura 2).…”

“…Quanto ao ano de publicação, os estudos selecionados distribuíram-se entre 2000 e 2015 (Figura 2). Seis estudos foram realizados na Coreia (1)(2)11,14,17,22) ; quatro na Suécia (4)(5)(12)(13) e na Turquia (15,20,(24)(25) ; dois no Irã (19,23) ; um na Espanha (18) , Estados Unidos (21) , Japão e Noruega (16) .…”

Moral distress: challenges for an autonomous nursing professional practice

“…It is impossible not to recognize the importance of nursing as a moral practice in its essence, which daily deals with issues of moral agency in the lives of people receiving its cares, which makes full use of the ability to think, act, and be responsible for actions not always easy to be adopted (5) .…”

“…These actions, which are related to other people's lives, may also be hampered by value conflicts that are not always explicated among the health team or with the users, and these are facts that, although not verbalized by nursing professionals, may still weaken them, by affecting their principles with loss of autonomy and difficulties in exercise of power (5) .…”