Adaptation and Validation of a Moral Distress Instrument in Mental Health Nurses.

ABSTRACT

Background and Purpose: To adapt and validate the Brazilian Scale of Moral Distress in Nurses for the mental health field. Methods: A cross-sectional methodological study was carried out, adapted with the contribution of 34 specialists, and validated by 173 mental health nurses. Results: The validated scale consists of 37 items divided into seven factors, and they were responsible for 77.2% of variance-working conditions, advocacy for the values and rights, professional safety and autonomy, ethical violations, social conflicts, ethical-professional competence, and conflicts with the management, with Cronbach's alpha at .972 for the entire instrument, and ranging from .852 to .949 for the constructs. Conclusion: The results provide evidence that the adapted instrument is reliable, valid, and consistent in measuring moral distress in mental health nurses.