Investigating the relationship between moral conflict and burnout in nurses working in Intensive Care Unit

Background: Improving the mental condition of nurses exerts a direct effect on patient care, duration, and treatment process.Thus, this study aimed at determining the level of occupational burnout and moral conflicts among nurses, as well as the relationship between these two variables. Materials and methods:In this descriptive correlational study, the research population consisted of the nurses working in the intensive care unit of the selected hospitals affiliated to Tehran Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences and the whole population was studied.Demographic Information Questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Falc-Pegueroles Moral Conflict Questionnaire were used to collect data.Results: The mean frequency of occupational burnout of nurses working in ICU wards was 41.81 (SD=15.37)and the mean intensity of occupational burnout was 44.77 (SD=15.56).The mean frequency of moral conflict of the samples was 27.36 (SD=11.74)and the mean intensity of moral conflict was 27.46 (SD=10.24).Regarding frequency, there was a positive and significant relationship between moral conflict and occupational burnout and its dimensions except for "Individual adequacy".Besides, the results suggested that regarding intensity, there was only a positive and significant relationship between moral conflict and depersonalization dimension. Conclusion:The results of study revealed that frequency of occupational burnout and moral conflict are correlated, and frequency of moral conflicts in nurses working in intensive care unit has a significant effect on creating and increasing occupational burnout.Therefore, one of the most important ways to reduce occupational burnout and moral conflict is to reduce frequency of moral conflicts in intensive care unit and on nurses working in this ward.