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The Relationship Between Perception of Futile Care and Moral Distress Among ICU Nurses in Teaching Hospitals of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences 2026
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Sadeghigholafshani Maedeh   , Hamid Hojjati * , Alireza Salar , Iman Moghadasi , Fatemeh Heydari |
| , H_hojjati1362@yahoo.com |
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Abstract: (99 Views) |
Background: Intensive Care Units (ICUs) expose nurses to complex clinical situations and challenging ethical dilemmas due to the critical conditions of patients. One of the main ethical challenges in these units is the provision of futile care, which neither improves patients’ quality of life nor reduces their dependency on complex medical interventions. Such situations can lead to moral distress among nurses. This study aimed to examine the relationship between ICU nurses’ perception of futile care and their level of moral distress.
Methods: This descriptive–correlational study was conducted in 2025 on 97 nurses working in the ICU of Razi Hospital, Qaemshahr, affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Inclusion criteria were holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing and having at least six months of ICU work experience. Data were collected using the Futile Care Questionnaire and the Moral Distress Questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the instruments were confirmed before the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 with descriptive statistics and non-parametric inferential tests, including Mann–Whitney, Kruskal–Wallis, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient.
Results: The mean score of nurses’ perception of futile care (45.57 ± 14.57) and moral distress (44.75 ± 7.85) were above average. Spearman’s correlation showed a significant positive relationship between the two variables (r = 0.39, P < 0.01). Additionally, higher age and being single were associated with higher perception of futile care and greater moral distress, whereas gender and work experience had no significant effect.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that ICU nurses with greater perception of futile care experience higher levels of moral distress. These results emphasize the importance of implementing educational and supportive interventions and enhancing the organizational culture to reduce moral distress and improve the quality of patient care in ICUs.
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| Keywords: Futile care, Moral distress, ICU nurse, Intensive care unit |
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Full-Text [PDF 310 kb]
(61 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
General
Received: 2026/Jan/Sun | Accepted: 2026/Mar/Thu | Published: 2025/Jan/Wed
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