The Relationship Between Moral Distress and Compassion Fatigue Among Intensive Care Unit Nurses in End-of-Life Situations in Teaching Hospitals of Tehran, 2024

Background & Aims: Nurses working in critical care units frequently experience moral distress and compassion fatigue, particularly when providing end-of-life care.This study aimed to examine the relationship between moral distress and compassion fatigue among nurses working in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Coronary Care Units (CCUs) in Tehran, Iran . Matherials & Methods:In this descriptive, cross-sectional correlational study, a random sample of 223 ICU/CCU nurses was selected from eight teaching hospitals affiliated with medical sciences universities in Tehran.Data were collected using validated instruments: Hamric's Moral Distress Scale-Revised and Figley's Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL).Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression . Results:The majority of nurses reported high levels of moral distress (67.3%) and moderate levels of compassion fatigue (63.2%).A significant positive correlation was found between moral distress and compassion fatigue (r = 0.567, p < 0.001).Regression analysis revealed that compassion fatigue significantly predicted moral distress, accounting for 32% of the variance (R = 0.32) . Conclusion:The high prevalence of moral distress and compassion fatigue among ICU nurses, along with their strong association, underscores the need for organizational interventions.Nursing administrators should implement workplace improvements, establish support systems, and provide ethics training to mitigate these psychological burdens.Such measures may enhance nurses' well-being and improve the quality of end-of-life care.