Moral distress in the neonatal intensive care unit: an Italian study

Objective:the objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency, the intensity and the level of moral distress experienced by nurses working in neonatal intensive care units (nicus).study design:we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey involving 472 nurses working in 15 level iii nicus. frequency, intensity and level of moral distress was evaluated using a modified version of moral distress scale neonatal–pediatric version. socio-demographic data were also collected.result:four hundred six nurses completed the study material indicating a low-to-moderate experience of moral distress. the situations receiving the highest scores for frequency, intensity and level of moral distress related to the initiation of extensive life-saving actions and participation to the care of ventilator-dependent child. no difference in the mean scores of moral distress was found according to the socio-demographic characteristics investigated.conclusion:the present study provides further insight into the moral distress experienced by nurses working in italian nicus.