MORAL DISTRESS IN AN OVERCROWDED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: UNDERSTANDING THE NURSES’ EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Nursing in the Emergency Department (ED) is a rewarding and dynamic challenge. ED nurses face challenges on the job every day and moral distress is one such example. Moral distress is a phenomenon that has been described in over 30 years of nursing literature but infrequently focuses on the challenges specific to the ED. In the ED environment nurses can face challenges related to overcrowding and are being forced to take care of their patients in hallways and other inappropriate care spaces, while other patients wait for extended periods in waiting rooms without treatment or assessment. This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach to examine the experience of moral distress in nurses who are working in overcrowded EDs. This thesis describes the ED nurses’ experiences of moral distress when working in an overcrowded ED.