Moral distress can cause which outcome?

• A. Increased job satisfaction.
• B. Practitioners leaving places of employment.
• C. Higher patient safety.
• D. Improved performance.

Answer: (B)

Moral distress occurs when you know the ethically appropriate action but can’t take it due to external constraints, and that clash creates emotional strain and ethical frustration. Over time, this ongoing distress erodes job satisfaction and engagement, contributing to burnout. Faced with such conflict, many practitioners end up seeking work elsewhere, leading to turnover as they leave their current employment. This outcome reflects the toll of sustained moral distress on retention. Increased job satisfaction, higher patient safety, or improved performance are unlikely in this context, as the emotional and ethical strain tends to undermine those areas rather than enhance them.