Moral Distress, Compassion Fatigue, and Perceptions About Medication Errors in Certified Critical Care Nurses

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the previously untested relationships between moral distress, compassion fatigue, perceptions about medication errors, and nurse characteristics in a national sample of 205 certified critical care nurses. In addition, this study included a qualitative exploration of the phenomenon of medication errors in a smaller subset of certified critical care nurses. Results revealed statistically significant correlations between moral distress, compassion fatigue, and perceptions about medication errors in this group. Implications for critical care nurses seeking to create work environments conducive to the reduction of medication errors are explored.

Compassion Fatigue Among Pediatric Healthcare Providers

“…Stamm (2010) identifi es high secondary traumatic stress and high burnout scores in combination with low compassion satisfaction scores as the most wor-risome combination of scores. Studies have shown nurses working in the intensive care unit have a high risk of developing compassion fatigue (Jenkins & Warren, 2012;Maiden, Georges, & Connelly, 2011;Young et al, 2011). Healthcare providers that work in the PICU are constantly exposed to trauma, death, and grieving families.…”

Screening Situations for Risk of Ethical Conflicts: A Pilot Study

“…Quality care and patient safety are threatened when health care providers are burdened by stressful ethical conflicts that erode interpersonal trust, compromise working relationships, and fragment care. 1,24,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45] Furthermore, these compromised relationships increase patients' mortality and morbidity 44,46,47 and organizational costs. 41,48 Ethical conflicts can also delay treatment decisions 4 and increase the risk for family conflict.…”

How Professional Nurses Working in Hospital Environments Experience Moral Distress: A Systematic Review

“…In addition, the researchers suggested that moral distress is a contributing factor requiring further study as it relates to medication errors. 19 …”