Moral Distress in End-of-Life Care: Promoting Ethical Standards of Executive Nursing Practice

Providing end-of-life care to dying individuals has the potential to be morally distressing to patients, families, and care providers when disagreements around the ethical nature of care arise. Advances in life-sustaining medical technologies, coupled with an increase in the aging population in an era where healthcare resources are limited, have contributed to the urgency of this issue in nursing executive practice. In order to effectively mediate an ethically sound resolution that is supportive of patient-centered care and sensitive to the needs of the healthcare team, nursing leaders need to have a working knowledge of underlying ethical principles and professional duties. This article presents an analysis of the moral distress in relation to end-of-life care in contemporary nursing practice. A case study is used to illustrate key concepts. A proposed plan of action based on current evidence is presented that is intended for use by the nurse executive.