Author Affiliations: Clinical Ethicist, Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Associate Professor (Dr Whitehead), Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; and Senior Director of Nursing Research, EBP, and Excellence Carilion Clinic (Dr Carter), Carilion Clinic, Roanoke; Professor of Nursing and Coordinator of Doctor of Nursing Practice Program (Dr Garber), School of Nursing James Madison University, Harrisonburg; and Associate Professor School of Nursing and UVA Center for Health Humanities and Ethics (Dr Epstein), University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville.
J Nurs Adm. 2021 Jun 1;51(6):334-339. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001023.
The purpose of this study was to describe the moral distress experiences of nurse managers. Moral distress has been studied among direct patient care providers including nurses and physicians. The moral distress experience among nurse managers is less understood. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study with 19 nurse managers from 5 healthcare institutions in Virginia. Interview data were analyzed using a directed content analysis, as the structural components of the moral distress phenomenon are already known. Participants suffered moral distress when they were unable to achieve or maintain effective unit function and felt caught in the middle between their units' and employees' needs and organizational directives. System-level causes of moral distress are common among nurse managers. Future research should involve measurement of moral distress among nurse managers and exploration of effective interventions.
本研究旨在描述护士长的道德困境体验。道德困境已在直接患者护理提供者（包括护士和医生）中进行了研究。对于护士长的道德困境体验，人们的了解较少。我们在弗吉尼亚州的 5 家医疗机构中对 19 名护士长进行了定性描述性研究。使用定向内容分析法分析访谈数据，因为道德困境现象的结构组成部分已经为人所知。当护士长无法实现或维持有效的单位职能，并且感到自己处于单位和员工需求与组织指令之间的困境时，他们会感到道德困境。护士长普遍存在系统层面的道德困境。未来的研究应涉及对护士长的道德困境进行测量，并探索有效的干预措施。
