Which of the following is a form of moral distress: knows the right thing but unable to do it?

• A. Moral indifference
• B. Moral uncertainty
• C. Moral distress
• D. Moral outrage

Answer: (C)

Moral distress occurs when you know the right action to take but can’t carry it out because of external barriers such as policies, orders, hierarchy, or limited resources. That gap between what should be done and what actually can be done is what creates the psychological discomfort associated with moral distress. For example, a nurse might recognize that a patient needs a certain intervention but cannot provide it due to hospital policy or a lack of staff.

This differs from moral indifference (a lack of concern about ethical issues), moral uncertainty (not being sure what the right action is), and moral outrage (feeling anger about a perceived moral violation).