Dilemmas of Nurses Are Experiencing Care to Elderly People in General Wards

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to outline the types of emotional and moral distress experienced by nurses caring for senior citizens, and to propose conflict resolution strategies for these types of distress. Study participants were recruited from nursing staff working on general hospital wards (n=205). Outcome measurements included the prevalence of general emotional or moral distress when caring for the elderly, as well as the frequency with which nursing staff reported distress in seven specified conflict situations. The specified scenarios were developed through prior research and data mining.

The results were as follows :

1. Approximately 80% of nursing staff reported emotional or moral distress in caring for elderly patients.

2. Statistically significant percentages of nursing staff reported emotional or moral distress in the following situations : (1)managing the physical security of elderly patients, (2)managing quality of life aspects of care for elderly patients, (3)medically treating elderly patients, (4)caring for patients with dementia, (5)managing conflicts within the medical team, and (6)responding effectively to emergency situations.

For each of the six situations in which nursing staff reported significant moral or emotional distress, the distress may be classified as being either internally or externally driven. Coping with internal stressors may best be managed through experience and working with colleagues, as increased technical ability may lead to reduced discomfort in distressing situations. In contrast, we recommend that external stressors be managed through institutional support systems and modification of stressful organizational structures.