Moral Distress and Intention to Leave Job with the Attitudes Towards Futile Treatments in Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between attitudes toward futile treatments, moral distress, and intention to leave the job of nurses. Materials And Methods: This study has a descriptive and correlational design and was carried out with 425 nurses in April-May 2021 in Istanbul. The data were collected using a Personal Information Form, The Nurses’ Attitudes Towards Futile Treatment Scale, the Moral Distress Scale, and the Intention to Leave Scale. Data analysis includes the Kruskal Wallis test, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and regression analyses. Results: More than half of nurses (51.4%) had never heard of the “futile treatment” concept. The Nurses’ Attitudes Towards Futile Treatment scores had a positive correlation with Moral Distress scores (r=0.295, p<0.001) and a negative correlation with Intention to Leave scores (r=-0.356, p<0.001). Also, Moral Distress Scores negatively correlated with Intention to Leave scores (r=-0.260, p<0.001). Conclusion: The moral distress seemed related to practicing futile treatments. Considering these results, it’s thought that the protocols that hospitals will prepare for futile practices will be an essential step in preventing ethical dilemmas and moral distress experienced by nurses.