The Amount of Moral Courage and Moral Distress of Nurses and Their Related Factors in Educational and Medical Centers of Zanjan

Ethical challenges are considered an integral part of the nursing profession. In these challenges, despite moral courage, nurses experience moral distress.

This study was conducted to determine the amount of moral courage and moral distress of nurses and their related factors in educational and medical centers in the city of Zanjan.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 256 nurses working in educational hospitals of Zanjan in 2019 through the proportional convenience method. Data collection tools were three questionnaires, including the demographic information questionnaire, Sekerka’s Moral Courage Questionnaire, and Corley’s Moral Distress Scale. The questionnaires were collected by self-reporting method after distribution and completion by nurses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS software version 22.

Most of the participants were female, married, and design-employed, with a bachelor’s degree and a mean age of 32.11± 6.9 years. The mean score of nurses’ moral courage was 5.73 ± 0.81 out of 7 points and their mean score of moral distress was 4.48±1.13 out of 7 points. The mean score of moral courage was statistically significantly different from age and work experience (p<0.05). The mean scores of moral distress in women, pediatric ward, and individuals with low work experience showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). The results showed no statistically significant relationship between the score of moral courage and that of moral distress.

According to the results of this study, it is recommended to use less novices and young individuals in stressful wards to reduce moral distress and to have courageous approach in challenging situations.