The Effect on the Care Behaviors of Nurses Working in Intensive Care Clinics of Moral Distress Experienced During End of Life Patient Care

Abstract

This research was conducted as a descriptive study in order to examine the effects of the moral problems experienced by nurses working in intensive care clinics on their end of life care behaviors. The data were collected using the Moral Distress Scale and Caring Behaviors Inventory. It was found that 74.5% of the nurses were women and their mean age was 32.60 ± 6.6 years. The frequency of moral distress in the nurses was 44.27 ± 16.25 and total score was 111.02 ± 63.85. There were significant differences in the scores of the concept the use of futile treatment by nurses, the decision not to begin life-support treatment being made only by physicians, and moral distress and discomfort felt by pediatric intensive care nurses ( p < .05). A statistically significant relationship was found between total scores of discomfort on moral distress and assurance, knowledge and skills, connectedness, and being respectful on the end of life care behaviors ( p < .05).