중환자실 간호사가 경험하는 말기환자간호의 어려움과 도덕적 고뇌, 소진 및 직무만족과의 관계

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the relationships between the difficulty of end-of-life care and moral distress, burnout and job satisfaction of nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs). Methods: This descriptive study was conducted using self-report questionnaires. Participants were nurses who had more than one year of ICU experience and were recruited from three university hospitals (N=168). Results: The mean scores for ICU nurses’ difficulty in end-of-life care, moral distress, burnout and job satisfaction were 3.42, 113.88, 3.16 and 2.58 points, respectively. Difficulty in end-of-life care was positively correlated with moral distress (r=.48, p＜.001) and burnout (r=.26, p=.001) and was negatively correlated with job satisfaction (r=-.17, p=.024). Difficulties in end-of-life was identified as a predictor of moral distress (β=.44, p＜.001), burnout (β=.26, p=.001) and job satisfaction (β=-.18, p=.024). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest the following: it is important to have a deep understanding of ICU nurses who experience various difficulties in end-of-life care and to provide realist support for these nurses. And practical efforts by nursing organizations are needed, including support systems and education programs to alleviate ICU nurses’difficulties in end-of-life care.