Fostering Moral Resilience

Abstract

Background: Despite the high prevalence of moral distress in nursing, empirical evidence is lacking about the best educational approaches to foster moral resilience. Purpose: This study evaluates the effectiveness of an ethics simulation in a prelicensure program, 6 months into nursing practice. Methods: We used an exploratory design, including 2 instruments and open-ended questions. One instrument measured moral distress, the other measured moral resilience. Alumni who participated in the simulation were compared to alumni who received didactic teaching only. Results: Six months into practice, the quantitative data from this study did not show a statistical significance between those who received didactic training only and those who received a simulation, except for one element of the moral resilience scale (relational integrity), in which the control group had a higher score. Open-ended questions confirmed that alumni recognized the positive impact of the simulation in practice. Conclusions: Further study is needed to determine the best educational strategies for teaching ethics in prelicensure nursing programs, with a focus on improving retention and resilience in practice.