A mixed methods study of secondary traumatic stress in labor and delivery nurses

摘要

Nurses who are exposed to situations that are traumatic to their patients have been shown to experience secondary traumatic stress, a syndrome with symptoms similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and severity of secondary traumatic stress experienced by L&D nurses who were present during traumatic births, and to explore their descriptions of the actual events and the nurses' subsequent responses to these stressful events. The nurses studied were all members of AWHONN, the Association of Obstetric and Gynecologic Nurses, and the random sample was drawn by an AWHONN staff member from the Association membership list. The original sample was 3,000 L&D nurses. As the sample was anonymous, no follow-up reminders to the original mailing of the survey were sent. A total of 464 packets were returned, for a response rate of 15%. Participants varied widely in age and had been practicing as registered nurses anywhere from 1 to 57 years, with the mean number of years of practice being 20.77