Increasing Ethical Awareness and Decreasing Moral Distress: An Educational Program

Moral distress poses a significant challenge to the nursing profession, particularly in high-stress environments like the Medical ICU. When nurses are unable to act in accordance with their ethical values, the impact can be severe, potentially leading to nurse migration, emotional distancing from patients, and increased attrition rates. In response, the presenter developed the Nursing Ethics Education Seminars for nurse residents in the Medical ICU, evaluating ethical awareness and moral distress both before and after the intervention. This presentation will review the existing literature on moral distress, outline the development and implementation of this quality improvement initiative, and share the results and implications for practice.