Impact of moral distress on early career nurses: an integrative review

Background and purpose► 'Moral distress' is described by Jameton as '…aris[ing] when one knows the right thing to do, but institutional constraints make it nearly impossible to pursue the right course of action' (p. 6). 2 ► Moral distress may cause nurses to question their career choice, and to feel disempowered and unhappy in their work.This may have a negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of nursing staff, leading to burnout and high staff turnover.► Nurses in the first 5 years of their career (early career nurses) may be particularly at risk of experiencing moral distress as they make the stressful and challenging transition from student to qualified practice.► The purpose of the review is to synthesise the literature regarding moral distress in the first 5 years of qualified practice.