As a term, moral distress was coined by Andrew Jameton who was an Ethicist. It refers to negative feelings arising when someone decides to take an action that is morally correct, but is unable due to constraints (Jameton, 1984). He grouped moral distress into two varieties: initial distress and reactive distress. Initial distress is the distress that occurs as the event unfolds; in real time. Reactive distress is distress that occurs after the events have unfolded and result in one feeling like they have failed morally. Reactive distress over time results in a lingering feeling of moral failure and a loss of the personal moral identity of a person.
Moral distress happens when someone is aware of their moral responsibility in a particular …show more content…
Nurses, as well as other health practitioners, are faced with levels of moral distress every day in their workplace. The most efficient way of fighting this problem is converting moral distress into moral resilience. Moral resilience has been defined as “the capacity of an individual to sustain or restore his or her integrity in response to moral complexity, confusion, distress or setbacks” (Rushton et al., 2016). Moral resilience can be built by individuals cultivating their sense of self-awareness and committing to self-exploration. By knowing what they stand for in life; the values, principles, and beliefs, as well as why they do, nurses are more able to be responsive and flexible in situations arising that are of complex ethical circumstances. Moral conflicts and dilemmas will always exist in the nursing profession, so it is best for nurses to know how to deal with these situations as they are inevitable. It is important for nurses to take care of their wellbeing so that they can be able to extend the same care to their patients. They owe the same duties to self as well as to others, including the obligation to promote health and safety, preserve integrity and wholeness. In addition, they have a responsibility of maintaining competence and facilitating personal and professional
Moral distress happens when someone is aware of their moral responsibility in a particular …show more content…
Nurses, as well as other health practitioners, are faced with levels of moral distress every day in their workplace. The most efficient way of fighting this problem is converting moral distress into moral resilience. Moral resilience has been defined as “the capacity of an individual to sustain or restore his or her integrity in response to moral complexity, confusion, distress or setbacks” (Rushton et al., 2016). Moral resilience can be built by individuals cultivating their sense of self-awareness and committing to self-exploration. By knowing what they stand for in life; the values, principles, and beliefs, as well as why they do, nurses are more able to be responsive and flexible in situations arising that are of complex ethical circumstances. Moral conflicts and dilemmas will always exist in the nursing profession, so it is best for nurses to know how to deal with these situations as they are inevitable. It is important for nurses to take care of their wellbeing so that they can be able to extend the same care to their patients. They owe the same duties to self as well as to others, including the obligation to promote health and safety, preserve integrity and wholeness. In addition, they have a responsibility of maintaining competence and facilitating personal and professional