I found the article, “Moral Distress and Psychological Empowerment in Critical Care Nurses Caring for Adults at End of Life,” very insightful and beneficial to my practice. I recently started working in palliative care after 8 years in a medical intensive care unit. In my new role, I’ve become acutely aware of the moral distress that exists throughout my organization, particularly in critical care units. The palliative care team often hears differing opinions from nursing and physician teams regarding patients’ expected prognosis and outcomes. This difference of opinion sends mixed messages to patients and families and indicates the nurse’s opinion is not valued, which can cause moral distress.

Measures need to be in place to prevent moral distress. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) issued a position statement on moral distress in 2008 and identified several actions for nurses and employers. The identification of moral distress, education,...

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