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Impact of a pediatric quality of life program on providers' moral distress.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Brandon, D; Ryan, D; Sloane, R; Docherty, SL
Published in: MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing
May 2014

To evaluate the impact of the introduction of a new pediatric palliative care program on the pattern of moral distress in pediatric healthcare providers (HCPs).We used a before and after cross-sectional survey design to study the impact of the Pediatric Quality of Life (QoL) Program on the moral distress of pediatric HCPs at a single center. Moral distress is measured in both intensity and frequency. The sample came from lists of all pediatric providers (nurses, physicians, social workers, therapists, dieticians, chaplains, administrators) serving the inpatient and outpatient pediatric areas of a southeastern academic tertiary medical center.The intensity of moral distress from situations focused on "individual responsibility" and "not in the best interest of the patient" were similar before and after program implementation, but the intensity of distress related to "work quality of life" decreased after program implementation. Situations causing moral distress when the "care given was not in the patient's best interest" occurred less frequently after program implementation. Providers disagreed with statements that "work-related distress" impacted their personal or professional life. The number of providers who were considering leaving the institution within 6 months decreased following program implementation.After implementation of the Pediatric QoL Program, nurses and other providers encountered morally distressing situations less often. Providers also answered that they had greater comfort with and competence in providing care focused on patients' quality of life after completing the program. As palliative care programs include many activities that reduce moral distress, nurses should actively take advantage of participation in debriefing sessions and staff education to maximize their work quality of life.

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Published In

MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing

DOI

EISSN

1539-0683

ISSN

0361-929X

Publication Date

May 2014

Volume

39

Issue

3

Start / End Page

189 / 197

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Quality of Life
  • Pediatrics
  • Palliative Care
  • Nursing
  • Humans
  • Health Personnel
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Brandon, D., Ryan, D., Sloane, R., & Docherty, S. L. (2014). Impact of a pediatric quality of life program on providers' moral distress. MCN. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 39(3), 189–197. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmc.0000000000000025
Brandon, Debra, Donna Ryan, Richard Sloane, and Sharron L. Docherty. “Impact of a pediatric quality of life program on providers' moral distress.MCN. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing 39, no. 3 (May 2014): 189–97. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmc.0000000000000025.
Brandon D, Ryan D, Sloane R, Docherty SL. Impact of a pediatric quality of life program on providers' moral distress. MCN The American journal of maternal child nursing. 2014 May;39(3):189–97.
Brandon, Debra, et al. “Impact of a pediatric quality of life program on providers' moral distress.MCN. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, vol. 39, no. 3, May 2014, pp. 189–97. Epmc, doi:10.1097/nmc.0000000000000025.
Brandon D, Ryan D, Sloane R, Docherty SL. Impact of a pediatric quality of life program on providers' moral distress. MCN The American journal of maternal child nursing. 2014 May;39(3):189–197.

Published In

MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing

DOI

EISSN

1539-0683

ISSN

0361-929X

Publication Date

May 2014

Volume

39

Issue

3

Start / End Page

189 / 197

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Quality of Life
  • Pediatrics
  • Palliative Care
  • Nursing
  • Humans
  • Health Personnel
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies