Moral Distress for Nursing

Many nurses are very concerned about what lies in the future of their careers. Each generation has their challenges, but this generation will probably always remember COVID-19. As nurses, we had to reflect on what happened during those days and we needed to soul search because of what we had to confront as nurses. Some of you are on the front lines of this pandemic taking care of patients that are affected.

Instructions:

1. Go to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) website and read about moral distress.
2. Please share a couple of experiences that you may have had or that you may imagine that you would have caring for a patient with COVID-19
   • Example: It really disturbs me that a person that is dying cannot communicate with their family. As a proponent of palliative care and hospice and all the ideas connected to this I am adamantly against any person going through the dying process without family present. This has really disturbed me to the point that I am personally dealing with feelings of distress that I cannot come up with an answer.
3. Distinguish between moral distress, burnout and compassion fatigue. Classify the example that is given above. 
4. Read the AACN Position Statement: Moral Distress in Times of Crisis. Comment on the AACN Position Statement. Do you believe the same things about moral distress. What do you believe?

https://www.aacn.org/clinical-resources/moral-distress

https://www.aacn.org/policy-and-advocacy/aacn-position-statement-moral-distress-in-times-of-crisis