Table 4 Distress and moral distress during COVID-19 pandemic
Results (N = 313) | |
|---|---|
Major sources of distress*, n (%) | |
Spending less time with patients | 168 (53.7) |
Inconsistent opinions of physicians regarding comfort care | 133 (42.5) |
Insufficient communication with patient’s family | 74 (23.6) |
Inconsistent opinions of nurses on comfort care | 72 (23.0) |
Insufficient communication about goals of treatment within the team | 69 (22.0) |
I was exposed to moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, n (%) | |
Strongly agree | 75 (24.0) |
Somewhat agree | 87 (27.8) |
Do not know | 23 (7.3) |
Somewhat disagree | 92 (29.4) |
Strongly disagree | 28 (8.9) |
Median (IQR) | 2 (2–4) |
Level of moral distress was comparable to situation before COVID-19 pandemic, n (%)a | |
Strongly agree | 5 (3.1) |
Somewhat agree | 24 (14.8) |
Do not know | 11 (6.8) |
Somewhat disagree | 82 (50.6) |
Strongly disagree | 39 (24.1) |
Major sources of moral distress*, n (%)a | |
Work intensity—psychological exhaustion | 27 (16.7) |
Work intensity—physical exhaustion | 23 (14.2) |
Cooperation with not qualified colleagues | 20 (12.3) |
Changes in the standards of care | 19 (11.7) |
Severity of condition/prognosis of admitted patients | 16 (9.9) |
Personal interactions at the ICU | 16 (9.9) |
Prioritisation of care due to resource scarcity situation | 16 (9.9) |
Responsibility for insufficiently qualified colleagues | 14 (8.6) |
Work intensity—risk of infection | 10 (6.2) |
Organisational/institutional problems | 6 (3.7) |
Administration of experimental treatments | 5 (3.1) |