Table 4 Main sources of moral distress in health professionals

A

Source of Moral Distress

Dimension

Global

Mean (SD)

Rank

Males

Mean (SD)

Rank

Females

Mean (SD)

Rank

Source of Moral Distress

Dimension

Global

Mean (SD)

Rank

Males

Mean (SD)

Rank

Females

Mean (SD)

Rank

16^a. Having to attend to more patients than I can safely attend to.

Health Care

9.8 (4.9)

1

9.1 (5)

1

10.1 (4.8)

1

17. Seeing how patient care is negatively affected by the lack of resources/equipment or the availability of beds.

Health Care

8.3 (4.7)

2

7.9 (4.5)

2

8.5 (4.8)

2

9. Seeing how patient care suffers due to the lack of continuity of care.

Health Care

7.4 (4.5)

3

6.6 (4.2)

4

7.7 (4.7)

3

19. Having to deal with excessive paperwork, which negatively affects patient care.

Health Care

7.1 (4.9)

4

6.9 (4.8)

3

7.2 (5)

5

18. Witnessing inaction or lack of administrative support on an issue that negatively affects patient care.

Health Care

7 (4.7)

5

6.5 (4.2)

5

7.3 (4.8)

4

22. Having to work with aggressive or rude patients or family members who negatively affect the quality of care.

External Pressure

6 (4.6)

6

5.1 (4.1)

7

6.4 (4.7)

6

23. Feeling compelled to place too much emphasis on skills and productivity or quality measures at the expense of patient care.

Health Care

5.97 (4.8)

7

5.3 (4.6)

6

6.2 (4.9)

7

3. Feeling pressure to give/carry out orders which I consider unnecessary or to administer inappropriate tests or treatments.

Therapeutic Obstinacy-futility

5.7 (4.3)

8

4.6 (3.9)

8

6.1 (4.4)

8

2. Accepting the family’s insistence to continue an aggressive treatment, even though I believe it is not the best treatment for the patient.

Therapeutic Obstinacy -futility

5.1 (4)

9

4.4 (3.8)

9

5.4 (4.1)

9

4. Being unable to provide optimal care due to pressure from administrators or insurers to reduce costs.

Health Care

5 (4.9)

10

4.4 (4.6)

10

5.3 (5.1)

10

B

Source of Moral Distress

Dimension

Nurses

Mean (SD)

Rank

Physicians

Mean (SD)

Rank

Hospital

Mean (SD)

Rank

Community

Mean (SD)

Rank

16^a. Having to attend to more patients than I can safely attend to.

Health Care

9.5 (4.7)

1

9.9 (5)

1

8.6 (4.7)

1

10.9 (4.8)

1

17. Seeing how patient care is negatively affected by the lack of resources/equipment or the availability of beds.

Health Care

7.9 (4.6)

2

8.5 (4.8)

2

7.4 (4.6)

2

9 (4.8)

2

9. Seeing how patient care suffers due to the lack of continuity of care.

Health Care

7.2 (4.6)

3

7.4 (4.5)

3

6.5 (4.2)

3

8.1 (4.79

4

19. Having to deal with excessive paperwork, which negatively affects patient care.

Health Care

6.4 (4.5)

6

7.4 (4.8)

5

5.9 (4.7)

5

8.1 (5)

3

18. Witnessing inaction or lack of administrative support on an issue that negatively affects patient care.

Health Care

6.5 (4.5)

5

7.3 (4.8)

4

6.2 (4.6)

4

7.6 (4.8)

5

22. Having to work with aggressive or rude patients or family members who negatively affect the quality of care.

External Pressure

6.4 (4.6)

8

5.8 (4.5)

6

4.9 (4.2)

10

7.1 (4.8)

6

23. Feeling compelled to place too much emphasis on skills and productivity or quality measures at the expense of patient care.

Health Care

6.4 (4.8)

9

5.8 (4.8)

7

5.2 (4.5)

9

6.8 (5.1)

7

3. Feeling pressure to give/carry out orders which I consider unnecessary or to administer inappropriate tests or treatments.

Therapeutic Obstinacy-futility

6.7 (4.3)

4

5.8 (4.5)

8

5.4 (4.3)

7

6 (4.4)

9

2. Accepting the family’s insistence to continue an aggressive treatment, even though I believe it is not the best treatment for the patient.

Therapeutic Obstinacy-futility

6.4 (4.4)

10

4.5 (3.6)

10

5.7 (4.1)

6

4.8 (4.4)

11

4. Being unable to provide optimal care due to pressure from administrators or insurers to reduce costs.

Health Care

4.8 (4.7)

11

5.1 (5)

9

3.5 (4.4)

11

6.3 (5.2)

8