moral distress

Paper details:

Please provide 1 response to 1 peer in scholarly writing (75-125 words – about the length of 1 short paragraph) to offer respectful reflection on the topic. Responses to peers do not require a reference. Peer’s post: As a new nurse, Jalen is faced with an ethical situation that is causing him moral distress. I think fidelity is a major ethical principal that plays a part in this case. Fidelity means that the nurse is promising their patient that they will be faithful to their professional obligations and care for patients according to the best standard of practice. In the ANA’s Code of Ethics (2015), they state that “when nurses are aware of inappropriate or questionable practice, the concern should be expressed to the person involved, focusing on the patient’s best interest as well as the integrity of nursing practice” (pg. 24). In this situation, the corners that Jalen’s coworkers are cutting are putting the patients at risk for harm. It is Jalen’s duty as a nurse to report this behavior if he believes it is or could be harmful to patients. If Jalen doesn’t say anything, he is neglecting his professional obligations and fidelity as a standard. As for Jalen’s moral distress because of this situation, there are a few things he could try in order to feel better and prevent burnout. First, by addressing the situation and telling someone about his concerns, the weight of carrying around this information will be lifted off his shoulders. Despite what happens afterwards, I think knowing he made the right choice for his patients and him as a nurse will bring him peace. In order to build his resilience, in case a similar situation was to arise, Jalen could practice some of many evidence-based strategies. These include but are not limited to mindfulness, self-care practices, and stress reducing activities. Along with these, what other things do you think could promote resilience among nurses? Reference prompt: Jalen is a new registered nurse working on a medical/surgical unit in a local hospital. He is proud to be a nurse and proud of the excellent care he gives his patients. Lately, he has noticed that some of his co-workers are cutting corners that affect quality and safety for patients. To make matters worse, they laugh and say to Jalen, “Just look the other way. You didn’t see what we just did.” Jalen feels powerless to speak up about the poor nursing care he witnesses because these are the same nurses who have been very helpful and supportive of him as a new nurse. He cannot eat or sleep, has frequent headaches, and dreads going to work. Jalagnen is experiencing moral distress.