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The Rushton Moral Resilience Scale

Development of the Rushton Moral Resilience Scale ™ was supported by the Dorothy Evens Lyne Fund; the scale is available for use at no cost; it is free.

The brief and validated scale provides a simple method for assessing healthcare interprofessionals’ self-reported level of moral resilience. The scale was designed to be self-administered via electronic or paper formats.

The Rushton Moral Resilience Scale ™ is a 17-item scale that represents four sub-scales of interprofessional moral resilience:

  • Responses to Moral Adversity (5 items α=0.78)
  • Personal Integrity (3 items α = 0.50)
  • Moral Efficacy (4 items α = 0.69)
  • Relational Integrity (3 items α = 0.78)

The response format is a Likert-type scale with four response options (1=Disagree, 2=Somewhat Disagree, 3=Somewhat Agree, and 4=Agree). All items should be coded so that higher scores indicate more resiliency; this will require recoding negatively worded items indicated with a (R) in the list of scale items. Obtain each subscale score by computing the mean for scores on the items associated with that subscale. An overall score can be computed by combining the means of each subscale.

The scale was developed in English; we are interested working with researchers who are interested in translating the scale into other languages or cultural contexts.

To use a Rushton Moral Resilience Scale ™, please click on the box below, Obtain the Scales. A new browser window will open with the Permission Request Form. Complete and submit the form, and you will receive the scale, the user manual, and the scoring guide.

To learn more about the scales, please click on the box below, About the Scales. To access the publication database, please click on the box below, Publications. There is also a page containing Frequently Asked Questions; if you cannot find the answer you are looking for or require additional assistance, please Contact Us.

Rushton Moral Resilience Scale, © 2021, Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Cynda Rushton, use with permission only.


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