Lived Experiences of Moral Disengagement Among Intensive Care and Emergency Department Nurses: A Phenomenological Study.

INTRODUCTION

Understanding the experiences of nurses involved in moral disengagement is essential for ensuring high-quality care and maintaining a skilled healthcare workforce.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to examine how nurses experience moral disengagement as a cognitive strategy used to defy moral standards.

METHODS

A phenomenological perspective was taken, with nine nurses from three different teaching hospitals participating in semi-structured interviews with the researchers.

RESULTS

The transcripts were analyzed using Van Manen's phenomenological approach to thematic analysis. The research identified four overarching themes: subjective appraisals of the usefulness of tasks engaged in, justification, the difference between "how I appear to be" and "what I actually am," and the "contagion" of moral disengagement.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the complexity of moral disengagement and the potential impact it can have on nursing and perceptions in health care. This study calls for a re-evaluation of nursing policies and increasing the professional awareness of ethics to strive for best practices in the profession.