The Relationship Between Moral Courage and Occupational Stress in Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urmia, Iran

Abstract

Due to the inherently demanding nature of their profession, nurses face significant job-related stress that can adversely affect their lives and the quality of nursing care. Moral courage may serve as a key factor influencing occupational stress among nurses. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the relationship between moral courage and occupational stress among nurses. This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 with 120 nurses from emergency departments of educational and therapeutic hospitals in Urmia, Iran, who were selected via two-stage sampling. Data were collected through a demographic information form, Sekerka’s Moral Courage Scale, and Gray-Toft and Anderson’s Nursing Stress Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA in SPSS software version 23. The results showed the mean scores for professional moral courage and occupational stress were 85.93 ± 15.68 and 10.77 ± 0.23, respectively. Moreover, there was a significant negative relationship between moral courage and occupational stress in nurses (r = -0.33 and P< 0.05).  Specific dimensions of moral courage, such as moral factor, threat tolerance, and moral purpose, had a significant negative effect on occupational stress (P< 0.05). These findings suggested that moral courage plays a significant role in mitigating occupational stress among nurses, which can influence their performance and, consequently, the quality of nursing care. Therefore, by fostering an environment that promotes moral courage, nursing managers can play a vital role in decreasing and mitigating the occupational stress experienced by nurses as well as enhancing the quality of care.