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Navigating the Moral Distress of Nurses Who Care for Patients with Pain. Helen N. Turner, DNP, RN-BC, PCNS-BC, FAAN Doernbecher Children’s Hospital/OHSU Portland, OR turnerh@ohsu.edu. Disclosure: Cadence Pharmaceuticals Pediatric Advisory Board Speakers Bureau . Objectives.
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Navigating the Moral Distress of Nurses Who Care for Patients with Pain Helen N. Turner, DNP, RN-BC, PCNS-BC, FAAN Doernbecher Children’s Hospital/OHSU Portland, OR turnerh@ohsu.edu
Disclosure: • Cadence Pharmaceuticals • Pediatric Advisory Board • Speakers Bureau
Objectives 1. Define moral distress 2. Describe symptoms of moral distress 3. Explain impact of moral distress on patient care 4. Identify 3 strategies useful for developing moral courage
Moral Distress You act in a manner contrary to your personal and professional values, which undermines your integrity and authenticity Occurs when you know the ethically appropriate action to take, but are unable to act upon it.
Moral Distress ≠ Unethical
Moral Distress “Feelings of frustration, anger, and anxiety when facing institutional obstacles and interpersonal conflicts about ones values” Unruh, 2010
Moral Distress Inescapable—part of our practice Individual response Can spread
Moral Distress • Impact on Nurses • Resulting distress • Personal • Professional • Ongoing obstacles • Organizational culture • Lack of courage • Group think • Redefinition of situation
Moral Distress • Responses to moral distress • Physical • Emotional • Behavioral • Spiritual
Moral Distress • Physical symptoms • Fatigue • Headaches • Impaired sleep • Lethargy • Nausea • Indigestion • Heartburn
Moral Distress • Emotional symptoms • Anger • Fear • Guilt • Sorrow • Anxiety • Grief
Moral Distress • Behavioral symptoms • Apathy • Indifference • Avoidance • Agitation • Hostility
Moral Distress • Spiritual symptoms • Loss of meaning • Loss of control • Crisis of faith
Moral Distress Leading to professional burnout
Impact on Patient Care Safety Quality
Turning the Tide • Navigating moral distress • Key is recognizing it • Intervening when appropriate
AACN’s 4 A’s of Moral Distress American Association of Critical Care Nurses: The 4A’s to Rise Above Moral Distress.
ASK • Am I feeling distressed or showing signs of suffering? • This is the stage where you become aware of your distress and its effects. • GOAL: Become aware of moral distress
AFFIRM Your distress, your commitment to take care of yourself, and your professional responsibility to act This is where you validate your feelings and perceptions with others GOAL: Make commitment to deal with it
ASSESS • Identify source of your distress, determine the severity of the situation, and contemplate your readiness to act • This is when you decide to take action or not • GOAL: Ready to make an action plan
ACT Prepare to act or not, take action, and maintain desired change or accept the outcome This is stage for implementation of strategies to initiate change GOAL: Preservation of integrity and authenticity
From Distress to Courage A Path Less Traveled
Moral Courage “The willingness to stand up for and act according to one’s ethical beliefs” Lachman et al, 2012 Is a virtue
Moral Courage Morally courageous professionals persevere to stand up for what is right even if it means they may do so alone.
Attributes of Moral Courage Personal Professional Organizational
Personal Attributes • Awareness of own beliefs and values • Take time for reflection—Choice Vs Judgment • Support • Strong skills in effective communication and advocacy • Advance your moral reasoning • Nurture your personal ethic of care
Professional Attributes Debriefing—peer support Developing supportive environment Building consensus Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration Enhancing professional and cultural competence
Professional Attributes • Follow a professional model of nursing care that exemplifies nursing’s goal of enhancing lives of patients & colleagues • Positively influence outcomes that support rather than oppose moral decision making • Safety • Quality
Organizational Attributes • Administrative support of moral courage • Open communication at all levels • Policies and procedures supporting ethical practice • Staff empowerment and protection • Healthy work environment • Interdisciplinary engagement—“Just Culture” • Review • Education • Monitoring
Resources ANA Center for Ethics and Human Rights ANA Code of Ethics American Society for Bioethics & Humanities Foundation for Moral Courage Institute for Global Ethics Moral Courage Project Nursing Social Policy Statement AACN Healthy Work Environment