Researching moral distress among New Zealand nurses A national survey

Background:Moral distress has been described as a major problem for the nursing profession, and in recent years, a considerable amount of research has been undertaken to examine its causes and effects. However, few research projects have been performed that examined the moral distress of an entire nation’s nurses, as this particular study does.Aim/objective:The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and intensity of moral distress experienced by registered nurses in New Zealand.Research design:The research involved the use of a mainly quantitative approach supported by a slightly modified version of a survey based on the Moral Distress Scale–Revised.Participants and research context:In total, 1500 questionnaires were sent out at random to nurses working in general areas around New Zealand and 412 were returned, giving an adequate response rate of 27%.Ethical considerations:The project was evaluated and judged to be low risk and recorded as such on 22 February 2011 via the auspices of the Mas...