Rotherman, A. (2010). Moral Distress

¶ … Rotherman, A. (2010). Moral distress among nursing and non-Nursing students. Nursing Ethics 17(2): 225-32.

The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not nursing students and nurses in training experienced less moral distress when contemplating a hastened death in certain circumstances as opposed to non-nursing students. The essential problem that this implies is a lack of understanding regarding the nature of nursing empathy and how it is influenced by undergraduate nursing education and by nursing training.

The hypothesis behind this study was that nursing education would create lower levels of moral distress when confronted with situations of hastening death. The research questions were set to directly measure levels of moral distress in such situations among nursing and non-nursing students.

Literature Review

This study did not contain a section devoted specifically to a literature review, however the background section of the published research contained current and comprehensive information related to the research question. A summary of this information is lacking, however.

Theoretical or Conceptual Framework

No particular theoretical framework is identified for the study. The research quantitatively assessed the development of nursing ethics in a high specific area, but there was not even a particular ethical perspective explicitly identified anywhere in the published article.

Population

The sample population for this study was undergraduates at southeastern universities, both in and out of nursing majors, as well as a small population of nurses in training with some practical nursing experience.

Protection of Human Research Participants

Participants in this research study were only asked to fill out questionnaires detailing their level of moral distress when confronted with situations of potentially hastened death. The research set up made keeping respondents anonymous very easy and secure while allowing for the collection of certain key demographic information.

Research Design

Instruments were developed to measure levels of moral distress in the specific situations key to the research questions and administered to the identified research population, with the results than statistically analyzed for trends and comparisons across the major variables identified in the research groups.

Instruments and Strategies for Measurement

The instruments used for the collection of data in this research study were adapted by the researchers from existing and well-founded instruments that measured moral distress levels and other important criteria. Ample documentation of the instrument's validity and reliability is provided.

Data Collection

Questionnaires were administered to participants for completion in private and were then collected by research assistants to maintain anonymity and avoid bias.

Data Analysis

Standard regression analysis was used to determine any trends and correlations in the data, as well as to outline any differences amongst participants.

Interpretation of Results

The research found that nursing education and even nursing experience did not affect levels of moral distress when contemplating scenarios of hastened death. The researchers point out, however, that the population of nurses in training was too small to be reliable. Ample evidence was provided to support these interpretations of the research results.

Discussion of Findings

The findings in this study seem relatively straightforward and valid, with the caveat of the small population size. Previous research on this question does not really exist though the research does seem at odds with certain previous findings. The researches call for further research on the topic to come to more valid conclusions.

Limitations

The limitations of this study are clearly acknowledged by the authors at several points throughout the data collection and interpretation sections of the published article. Population size was a significant limiting factor; an attendant limitation was the regional prejudice that exists in the research population, which could potentially cause bias.

Implications

The conclusions of these researchers seem well founded by their research, and in particular the conclusion that these results should be interpreted with great caution is well advised and very valid given the research limitations.