title: [Nurses, nursing technicians and assistants: who experiences more moral distress?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the frequency and intensity of moral distress experienced by nurses, technicians and nursing assistants who worked in hospitals in the South of Rio Grande do Sul State.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey research was conducted with 334 nursing workers from three institutions, through a questionnaire of moral distress. Constructs were validated through factorial analysis and Cronbach's alpha: lack of competence of the working team, disrespect to the patient's autonomy, insufficient working conditions and therapeutic obstinacy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With descriptive statistics and analysis of variance, it was found that nurses and nursing assistants have higher perception of moral distress when compared to nursing technicians. Organizational questions and ways of communication influence lower perception of moral distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of actions to favor coping, decision making and autonomy exercise from those workers.
authors: Nursing Department, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, grazi.dalmolin@gmail.com.
authors: Graziele de Lima
authors: Gde L
authors: Dalmolin
authors: Nursing Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors: Valéria Lerch
authors: VL
authors: Lunardi
authors: Nursing Graduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors: Guilherme Lerch
authors: GL
authors: Lunardi
authors: Nursing Graduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors: Edison Luiz Devos
authors: EL
authors: Barlem
authors: Nursing Graduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors: Rosemary
authors: R
authors: Silva da Silveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009014:Morals; D009728:Nursing Assistants; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult