Moral disengagement, moral identity, and counterproductive work behavior among emergency nurses.

BACKGROUND: Morality is a fundamental component of nurses' daily work. Nurses' cognitive tendencies toward moral disengagement in high-stress work environments can easily lead them to engage in counterproductive work behaviors that are not conducive to the organization. However, there is limited research on how to mitigate the impact of moral disengagement on counterproductive work behavior. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to explore the impact of moral disengagement on counterproductive work behavior, as well as the reverse regulatory mechanism of moral identity on the relationship between moral disengagement and counterproductive work behavior. RESEARCH DESIGN: This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: From September to October 2023, nurses from emergency departments of major hospitals in Hunan Province were recruited, and 500 questionnaires were distributed and collected using the WeChat app Credamo Seeing Numbers. ETHICAL CONSIDERATION: All study procedures were approved by the Ethics Committee of Hunan Normal University (No. 2023-388). FINDINGS: Moral disengagement had a positive effect on counterproductive work behavior directed at the organization (CWB-O) as well as counterproductive work behavior directed at individuals (CWB-I). Moral identity was not significant in moderating the relationship between moral disengagement and CWB-O. Moral identity had an inverse moderating effect on the mechanism of action between moral disengagement and CWB-I. CONCLUSION: Counterproductive work behavior guided by moral disengagement is detrimental to organizations, and moral identity can inhibit the effect of moral disengagement on CWB-I. Nursing administrators should focus on improving nurses' moral identity and improving the healthcare workplace environment so that moral identity can better exert its inhibitory effect on counterproductive work behavior among nurses.

Thriving at work, career calling, and moral distress among nurses.

BACKGROUND: Emergency nurses who thrive at work experience positive emotions that help reduce burnout and thus enhance career calling. However, few studies have focused on the relationships among thriving at work, career calling, and moral distress among emergency nurses. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationships among thriving at work, career calling, and moral distress and to explore the mediating role of career calling in the relationship between thriving at work and moral distress among emergency nurses. DESIGN: A quantitative, cross-sectional study. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted by reference to 390 emergency nurses in China using an online survey that include the Thriving at Work Scale, the Career Calling Scale, and the Moral Distress Scale-Revised. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS software. ETHICAL CONSIDERATION: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Hunan Normal University (No. 2023-388). FINDINGS: Among emergency nurses, thriving at work is positively associated with career calling, while career calling is negatively associated with moral distress. Career calling negatively and completely mediates the relationship between thriving at work and moral distress (ß = -0.087, p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: Theoretically, the findings enhance our understanding of the relationships among thriving at work, career calling, and moral distress among emergency nurses. CONCLUSION: By emphasizing the benefits of thriving at work, nursing managers can improve nurses' level of thriving at work by providing a favorable environment, a flexible scheduling system, and appropriate authorization as well as by ensuring organizational fairness and providing training opportunities in a hierarchical manner.

Moral distress, moral resilience, and job embeddedness among pediatric nurses.

BACKGROUND: Nurses often face ethical issues in their daily work that can have an impact on their level of job embeddedness. And positive job embeddedness is essential to reduce burnout among nurses and improve professional retention in the medical industry. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between moral distress, moral resilience, and job embeddedness. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between moral distress, moral resilience, and job embeddedness, and explore the mediating role of moral resilience between moral distress and job embeddedness among nurses. DESIGN: A quantitative, cross-sectional study. METHODS: Nurses from a number of tertiary general hospitals in central China were surveyed and assessed using the Moral Distress Scale, the Nurse Moral Resilience Scale, and the nurse job embeddedness Scale from February to March 2023. The study was conducted in line with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. ETHICAL CONSIDERATION: All study procedures were approved by the Ethics Committee of Hunan Normal University (No. 2023-313). FINDINGS: Moral distress was positively correlated with moral resilience (ß = 0.525, p < 0.01) and negatively correlated job embeddedness (ß = -0.470, p < 0.01). Moral resilience partially mediated the relationship between moral distress with job embeddedness (ß = -0.087, p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: The findings reveal a relationship between moral distress, job embeddedness, and moral resilience among nurses. CONCLUSION: Moral distress and moral resilience are important correlates of job embeddedness in nurses. Interventions to reduce moral distress and increase moral resilience may have potential benefits for improving nurses' job embeddedness. It is recommended that clinical nursing administrators create a favorable ethical atmosphere, educate nurses about ethics, and increase nurses' moral resilience.

Impact of Occupational Risks of Medical Staff on Willingness to Occupational Mobility in COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: Medical staff are a crucial resource in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic but are vulnerable to both SARS-CoV-2 infection and negative psychological outcomes. This study evaluated medical staff's occupational risks, professional identity, and occupational mobility intention during the pandemic. Patients and Methods: The questionnaire was anonymous. All respondents were Chinese medical personnel. Results: Our findings suggest that the professional risks faced by medical professionals can enhance their professional mobility willingness and weaken their professional identity. They cannot only directly enhance their professional mobility willingness but also indirectly strengthen their professional mobility willingness through professional identity. The objective support and subjective support obtained by medical professionals cannot only alleviate the negative impact of occupational risk on professional identity alone but also jointly, and in the process of their joint mitigation, the former has been internalized and absorbed, while the latter has a stronger mitigation effect. The objective support and subjective support obtained by medical professionals can neither alone nor jointly alleviate the direct and positive impact of occupational risk on the willingness of occupational mobility. Conclusion: The occupational risks faced by medical personnel can improve their willingness to move professionally and weaken their occupational identity. Early screening of high-risk groups for turnover intention among health care workers and more psychosocial health care and physical protection are needed during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.