Moral Distress

Moral Distress in Nursing: What You Need to Know

Moral distress is a complex and challenging experience that can have a significant negative impact on the healthcare team — from hindering our ability to advocate for patients to leaving our job or the profession.

Moral distress occurs when you believe you know — or you are uncertain of — the ethically correct action to take and you are constrained from taking it. What distinguishes moral distress from other forms of distress experienced by nurses is that it threatens our core values and has ethical implications. Symptoms of moral distress may be difficult to recognize. They may manifest as physical, emotional and/or psychological symptoms.

Common situations that can trigger moral distress include end-of-life treatment choices, inadequate staffing, value conflicts, challenging team dynamics and duty conflicting with safety concerns, among others. If you suspect you may be experiencing moral distress, it is important to identify, assess and address it, and seek assistance as needed.

AACN is committed to supporting nurses in managing moral distress and offers resources to help.

Recognizing Moral Distress … and What to Do About It

There are four key components to addressing moral distress.

Determine What You Are Experiencing

Distinguish between moral distress, burnout and compassion fatigue. All three cause distress but involve different mitigation strategies.

Gauge the Severity of Your Distress

Familiarize yourself with common symptoms, and rate your distress from 1 to 10 to help you prioritize mitigation efforts.

Identify the Causes and Constraints

Recognize the situations and factors that contribute to your moral distress. Use this knowledge to guide your next steps.

Take Action to Help You Move Forward

Consider all options for addressing your moral distress. What resources do you have personally? What’s available in your unit or organization?

Key Resources

Managing moral distress requires an understanding of its causes, symptoms and solutions. Whether you are experiencing moral distress yourself or want to support someone who is, these featured resources from AACN can help.

AACN Position Statement: Moral Distress in Times of Crisis

Read AACN’s perspective on moral distress and the call for hospitals and nurses to mitigate the harmful effects.

Moral Distress in a Crisis: What, Why, How to Cope

This podcast explores the causes, impact and mitigation of moral distress, which is heightened during crises.

Creating a Healthy Work Environment: Caring Is Critical!

Learn how innovative CVICU nurses led an initiative to reduce moral distress on their unit.

Transforming Moral Suffering: Resilience and Ethical Practice

Deepen your understanding of moral suffering, including moral distress, and its connection to resilience and ethical practice.

Moral Distress, Mattering and Secondary Trauma in Burnout

This article differentiates aspects of burnout syndrome and discusses healthcare organizations as moral communities.

Potentially Inappropriate Treatment: Ethical Factors

Overriding patients’ and families’ life-sustaining treatment preferences can negatively impact clinician well-being.

Recognizing and Overcoming Moral Distress

Moral distress can appear as exhaustion, tension, or a sense of unease that lingers beyond your shift. Recognizing it is the first step toward healing. AACN offers resources and peer support to help nurses address moral distress, prioritize well-being, and sustain ethical, resilient practice.

There's still a lack of recognition of what moral distress is. A lot of times nurses are feeling these symptoms or emotions, and they don't know what it is. They can't put a name to it.
Natalie Correll-Yoder, MN, RN, CCRN, CCNS

Additional Resources

Explore AACN’s collection of resources addressing moral distress and ethical dilemmas. This compilation includes journal articles, webinars, conference sessions and other materials to support you and your colleagues in resolving moral challenges.