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Background Intensive care unit nurses experience moral distress when they feel unable to deliver ethically appropriate care to patients. Moral distress is associated with nurse burnout and patient care avoidance. Objectives To evaluate relationships among moral distress, empowerment, ethical climate, and access to palliative care in the intensive care unit. Methods Intensive care unit nurses in a national database were recruited to complete an online survey based on the Moral Distress Scale–Revised, Psychological Empowerment Index, Hospital Ethical Climate Survey, and a palliative care delivery questionnaire. Descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses were performed. Results Of 288 initiated surveys, 238 were completed. Participants were nationally representative of nurses by age, years of experience, and geographical region. Most were white and female and had a bachelor’s degree. The mean moral distress score was moderately high, and correlations were found with empowerment (r = −0.145; P = .02) and ethical climate scores (r = −0.354; P < .001). Relationships between moral distress and empowerment scores and between moral distress and ethical climate scores were not affected by access to palliative care. Nurses reporting palliative care access had higher moral distress scores than those without such access. Education, ethnicity, unit size, access to full palliative care team, and ethical climate explained variance in moral distress scores. Conclusions Poor ethical climate, unintegrated palliative care teams, and nurse empowerment are associated with increased moral distress. The findings highlight the need to promote palliative care education and palliative care teams that are well integrated into intensive care units.

Background Sociodemographic variables that are predictors of rehospitalization for heart failure may better inform hospital discharge strategies. Objectives (1) To determine whether sociodemographic variables are predictors of hospital readmission, (2) to determine whether sociodemographic or laboratory variables differ by age group as predictors of readmission, and (3) to compare whether patients’ discharge disposition differs by age group in predicting readmission. Methods Retrospective chart review of hospitalized patients with heart failure admitted in 2007. Results Mean age was 68 (SD, 17) years for the 809 patients, with slightly more than one-third (n = 311, 38%) reporting a legal partner. Fewer than half (n = 359, 44%) were white. Almost one-third (n = 261, 32%) were rehospitalized within 90 days. Multivariable analysis revealed that patients younger than 65 years old and not partnered were at 1.8 times greater risk for being readmitted 90 days after discharge (P = .02; 95% CI, 0.33–0.92). Patients who were 65 years and older and not partnered were at 2.2 times greater risk for readmission (P = .01; 95% CI, 0.25–0.85) after creatinine level and discharge disposition were controlled for. For older patients discharged to home or to home with home services, the risk of readmission was 2.6 times greater than that for patients discharged to a skilled nursing facility (P = .02; 95% CI, 1.20–5.56). Conclusions The absence of a partner was predictive of readmission in all patients. Older patients with heart failure who were discharged to a skilled nursing facility had lower readmission rates. The effect of partner and disposition status may suggest a proxy for social support. Strategies to provide social support during discharge planning may have an effect on hospital readmission rates.