title: Moral distress of nursing undergraduates: Myth or reality?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During their education process, nursing undergraduates experience ethical conflicts and dilemmas that can lead to moral distress. Moral distress can deprive the undergraduates of their working potential and may cause physical and mental health problems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the experiences of the undergraduates in order to identify the existence of moral distress caused by ethical conflict and dilemmas experienced during their nursing education. Ethical considerations: This study was designed according to the principles of research with human beings and was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative multiple-case study. Two federal higher education institutions were surveyed, from which 58 undergraduates in nursing participated in the study. The undergraduates were undergoing their professional training. The data were collected through focus groups and were submitted to thematic content analysis, with the resources of the ATLAS TI 7.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Moral distress in undergraduates is a reality and was identified in three axes of analysis: (1) moral distress is experienced by undergraduates in the reality of healthcare services, (2) the teacher as a source of moral distress, and (3) moral distress as a positive experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The undergraduates in nursing manifest moral distress in different stages of their education, particularly during their professional training. The academic community should reflect and seek solutions for the reality of moral distress in undergraduates.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of São João del-Rei - UFSJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Heloiza Maria Siqueira
authors.initials: HMS
authors.lastname: Rennó
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia Regina Souza
authors.initials: FRS
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria José Menezes
authors.initials: MJM
authors.lastname: Brito
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000592:standards; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Ethics; moral distress; nursing education; nursing undergraduates; professional training