A staff nurse has a concern about a co-worker who may be diverting medications. The staff nurse would like to report the concern to a supervisor, but she is fearful of retaliation from her colleagues. The staff nurse knows that the ethical thing to do is report the concern for the sake of patient safety. This nurse is experiencing:

Question

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Moral distress occurs when clinicians know what is the ethical action to take, yet are prevented by either external or internal obstacles. Moral distress will contribute to stress and eventual burnout if the staff nurse does not take action.

A Staff Nurse Has a Concern About a Co-Worker Who