Constrained moral agency, distress, and residue in Neonatal Intensive Care nurses

Osama Mohamed Elsayed Ramadan, Alaa Hafiz, Areej Abunar, Minerva Raguini, Nadia Bassuoni Elsharkawy, Manar Fayez Alruwaili, Maha Suwailem S. Alshammari, Hassan M. Elamin, Reda Samy, Department of Maternal and Child Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia, Department of Maternity and Child Health, Faculty of Nursing, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, Nursing Department, Fakeeh Care Group, Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences, Saudi Arabia, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, College of Nursing, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia

Nursing Ethics: An International Journal for Health Care Professionals

Published online on July 08, 2026

Abstract

Nursing Ethics, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundNurses in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) play a pivotal role in managing ethically complex care for infants at the threshold of viability. However, institutional hierarchies, policies, and relational dynamics may constrain nurses’ ability ...