Moral distress is an important issue in the field of medical ethics that can have serious effects on nurses,
patients and health organizations. One of the most common effects of this phenomenon is professional stress
in nurses. Stressful situations in nurses’ job environment lead to burnout and dissatisfaction, and adversely
affect the quality of care.
This was a cross-sectional study aimed to determine the relationship between moral distress and professional
stress in 220 nurses of educational hospitals in the city of Birjand. Data were collected using a 51-item
questionnaire based on Corley’s Moral Distress Scale and Wolfgang’s Health Professions Stress Inventory.
Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were assessed by the researchers, and its reliability was
calculated using Cronbach’s alpha (93%).
The results indicated a positive relationship between moral distress and professional stress (P<0/05, r = 0/8).
Intensity and frequency of moral distress and professional stress were reported average.
Moral distress and professional stress were reported at a frequency and severity of moderate size. Findings of
this study can provide guidelines for educating nurses on this phenomenon and the conditions leading to it.
They may also be used to develop management strategies and establish organizations to prevent and
minimize the consequences of these phenomena in nurses
