Understanding the causes of moral distress experienced by oncology nurses in the context of a pandemic

Abstract

Providing care to cancer patients is associated with many ethical challenges. Moral distress is an increasingly prominent issue in oncology nursing. The aim of the review is to ascertain the studies on the reasons of moral distress in oncology nursing. The nurses that provide care in oncology are more exposed to the situations such as failure to control the pain of the patient that cause moral distress than those who work with other types of patient care. Studies show that factors that worsened or influenced the experience of moral distress in studies among nurses, including young patient age, a friendly relationship with the patient, a long recovery in the same ward and the worsening clinical condition of a patient. Sharing troublesome experiences with peers helps nurses to endure moral distress and, evidently, communication and collaboration correlate not only with reduced levels of moral distress but also with improved quality of care.

Keywords: Cancer, moral distress, nursing, oncology.