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Essay / Oncology Nursing Case Study - 1439
There are things a leader or manager can do to ease the burden of moral distress. Leaders should take a democratic approach, encouraging oncology nurses to talk about their moral distress and try to find a solution, because if left unresolved, it can lead to a decline in the quality of care and a reduction of patient satisfaction. An example of substandard care is a nurse who withdraws from the patient and thus creates a barrier in communication between the patient and the oncology nurse. By having a democratic leader, the oncology nurse will likely not fear being punished or alienated for questioning the interventions performed. The oncology nurse feels supported and has a say in the intervention decision. A manager of an oncology unit can create a rotation system in which nurses are assigned to difficult tasks, thereby reducing the burden of moral distress. Leaders or experienced nurses should serve as role models for novice nurses and encourage them to speak up if any sort of moral distress affects them. Leaders can help their oncology nurses with moral distress by creating training plans in which nurses learn to manage ethics, learn coping strategies, and have them receive the proper training. Moral distress in oncology unit affects nurses a lot and further studies should be conducted to consider how to prevent moral distress in oncology unit.