Moral Dilemma and Research on Coping Style of Frontline Nurses During the Outbreak of COVID -19 / 中国医学伦理学

ABSTRACT

【Objective:】 To understand the moral dilemma, coping style of frontline nurses and their correlation during the COVID -19. 【Methods:】 From March to April, 2021, 651 nurses working in designated hospitals for COVID -19 were selected by convenient sampling, and the Chinese version of Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R) and Chinese version of Coping Style Questionnaire (CSQ) were used for investigation. 【Results:】 Frontline nurses’ MDS-R score was 91.0, "value conflicts" was the moral dilemma with the highest frequency and intensity, more than half (51.0%) of the respondents had considered leaving their position because of moral dilemma. "Problem solving" and "seeking for help" were the major coping strategies adopted by the nurses. Nurses who directly provide medical services for COVID -19 patients, dissatisfied with hospital-related training and adopted negative coping strategies had higher moral dilemmas than other nurses. 【Conclusion:】 The moral dilemma of frontline nurses is at a high level during the period of epidemic prevention and control. Nursing managers should pay attention to guiding and helping nurses to establish positive coping styles and improve their ability to respond to major public health emergencies.