According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), integrating all 6 healthy work environment (HWE) standards fosters conditions that enhance nurse well-being. Within these environments, the concept of moral resilience, as defined by Rushton, refers to the capacity to preserve or restore integrity amid moral adversity, which is cultivated most effectively within ethical cultures that promote open dialogue, critical reflection, and shared moral support. In contrast, moral injury refers to the persistent psychological, emotional, and spiritual distress that arises when individuals commit, fail to prevent, or witness actions that violate their moral beliefs, compromising their well-being. Given the significance of these concepts in clinical settings, recent research has examined their interplay within the nursing workforce. In a cross-sectional survey, Sumner used AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool (HWEAT) alongside 2 validated instruments measuring moral resilience and moral injury. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of moral injury among intensive care unit nurses and explore the interrelationships among moral injury, moral resistance, and HWE. Findings indicated that moral resilience and HWE may independently and synergistically mitigate moral injury.
Meredith Padilla (Sun,) studied this question.