| Abstract [eng] |
Background. Nurses working in the operating room face a high workload, responsibility, and stress. Disagreements, conflicts of values, and a lack of emotional support occur in the work environment, which may lead to decreased self-esteem and develop into professional burnout or moral distress. Despite the importance of this topic, there is still a lack of research on this issue in Lithuania. Aim of the Study. To determine the associations between self-esteem and moral distress among nurses working in the operating room. Objectives of the Study. 1) To assess the self-esteem of nurses working in the operating room; 2) To identify moral distress among nurses working in the operating room; 3) To determine how moral distress and self-esteem are related to nurses’ age, workload, and specialization; 4) To evaluate the relationship between self-esteem and moral distress. Methodology. A quantitative research method was applied. Data were collected using an anonymous questionnaire survey based on the RSES and BAT-23 scales. The study included 261 nurses working in operating rooms of public healthcare institutions in Vilnius. Statistical data analysis was performed using SPSS 31.0 and Microsoft Excel 2016 software. Results. The majority of respondents (95.8%) were women, most belonged to the 46-55 years age group (30.7%), and 47.5% had ≥ 20 years of work experience. Operating room nurses comprised 60.9% of the sample. The median self-esteem score was 23 (Q1 = 20; Q3 = 26), indicating that most participants demonstrated moderate self-esteem (69.7%). Most respondents demonstrated a moderate level of moral distress (Md = 2.09; Q1 = 1.74; Q3 = 2.52). Self-esteem significantly differed according to age (p = 0.005): highest among respondents aged 36-55 years (Md = 24) and lowest among those aged ≤ 25 years (Md = 20). The highest level of moral distress was identified in the youngest age group (Md = 2.50), while the lowest was observed among respondents aged 46-55 years (Md = 1.93) (p < 0.001). Higher moral distress was characteristic of operating room nurses (Md = 2.22; Q1 = 1.83; Q3 = 2.61) and those working more than one full-time equivalent position (Md = 2.22; Q1 = 1.87; Q3 = 2.63). A moderate negative correlation between self-esteem and moral distress was identified (r = -0.410; p < 0.001). Conclusions. Most nurses working in the operating room demonstrated moderate self-esteem and a moderate level of moral distress. Nurses’ self-esteem and moral distress differed according to age, while moral distress was also associated with specialization and workload. The study revealed a negative relationship between self-esteem and moral distress. Recommendations. It is recommended to implement measures aimed at reducing moral distress (stress management and workload optimization), strengthen a supportive work environment, and pay greater attention to younger nurses. Broader studies should be conducted in the future. |
