The relationship between nurse's perceptions of moral distress and the ethical climate in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences of Yazd

Considering the advances in today''s world، the increased complexity of diseases and longer life expectancy، nurses experience a great deal of moral distress. One factor that is likely to contribute to the development of moral distress is the ethical climate prevailing in hospitals. This study aimed to assess the relationship between nurses'' perceptions of moral distress and the ethical climate in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd. This correlational descriptive study used the Moral Distress Scale (MDS) and Hospital Ethical Climate Survey (HECS) to examine 370 nurses working in a number of hospitals including Shahid Sadooghi، Shahid Rahnemun، Shahid Afshar and Savaneh Sukhteghi. Data analysis was performed using SPSS18 and descriptive and analytical statistics. Findings showed that the intensity of perceived moral distress among nurses was 3. 41±1. 28، and their perceptions of the ethical climate were 3. 22±0. 78. There was a significant negative relationship between nurses’ perception of moral distress and the ethical climate (P=0. 00). The findings of this study suggest that development of plans to improve the ethical climate prevailing in hospitals might decreases nurses’ perceived moral distress.