A Review of Moral Distress in Nursing Students: Causes and Educational Methods to Address It

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Topics in Professional Identify Formation

Abstract

Recent research in moral distress (MD) has highlighted the area of health professions students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing schools graduated students early to expand the nursing workforce. This brought the already-evident challenge of MD to the forefront in nursing education.
This review aimed to synthesize the literature on factors contributing to MD in undergraduate nursing students. The included studies provide consistent outcomes regarding causes of MD in undergraduate nursing students. The impact of nursing students’ lacking adequate training on how to negate experiences of MD has significant implications. Therefore, the profession must invest in the exploration of educational strategies for addressing MD at the undergraduate level to ensure graduates are prepared for challenges associated with MD.

Author

• Jennifer Dalton, University of Maryland