The Moral Distress-Appraisal Scale: Scale development and validation study.

Aims: Moral distress-arising when one is constrained from moral action-has been receiving increased attention in nursing research. The phenomenon is associated with negative outcomes and is shown to impact a broad range of healthcare professions. The context-specific nature of existing measures, however, makes it difficult, if not impossible, to compare the prevalence and impact of moral distress across nursing settings and healthcare professions.