Abstract: Objective: To explore the current states of moral distress and its related factors in nurses in tertiary grade A hospitals in Changsha, so as to provide reference to improve nursing management, and to strengthen the intervention of moral dilemmas, maintain the stability of nursing team. Method: Totally 378 nurses from clinical departments in 3 tertiary grade A hospital in Changsha were investigated with the Chinese version Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R). Result:The total score of moral distress was (53.42±29.91), and the mean sorces of moral distress frequency and intensity were (1.44±1.00) and (1.63±1.16), which were at lower level; Futile care and providing patients with false hope were major sources of moral distress in nurses; Moral distress of nurses has a significantly correlation with age, work experience, education,professional title, position, department, staffing of government affiliated institution, daily time contact with patients (P<0.05).Conclusion: The nursing managers should pay attention to the experience of moral distress in nurses, strengthening ethical and legal knowledge education, timely communicating with nurses, improving the allocation of the nursing human resources, so as to alleviate the level of moral distress in nurses.