Premium
Post‐traumatic stress disorder in nurses: An integrative review
Author(s) -
Schuster Michelle,
Dwyer Patricia A.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1111/jocn.15288
Subject(s) - cinahl , traumatic stress , intrapersonal communication , thematic analysis , psychological intervention , data extraction , psychology , interpersonal communication , clinical psychology , medline , nursing , medicine , psychiatry , qualitative research , social psychology , social science , sociology , political science , law
Aims and Objectives To synthesise literature regarding PTSD among nurses. Two objectives guided this review: (a) describe the prevalence of PTSD in registered nurses and (b) identify factors associated with nursing work‐related PTSD. Background Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur from direct or indirect exposure to traumatic events. Nurses are at risk of developing PTSD due to their indirect and/or direct exposure to traumatic situations while providing care to vulnerable patient populations. Design An integrative review. Methods A literature search was conducted in PubMed and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Data extraction and quality assessment were independently performed by two reviewers. Data analysis procedures consisted of four concurrent activities: data reduction, data display, data comparison and conclusion drawing and verification. Conclusions were narratively synthesised and thematically presented by review objective using PRISMA guidelines. Results Twenty‐four articles met criteria for review. One theme emerged from the synthesis of literature describing the prevalence of PTSD in nurses: All Over the Board. Authors reported vastly different PTSD prevalence rates across studies likely due to variability in measurement. Four themes emerged from the synthesis of factors that influence PTSD among nurses: The Workplace Matters, Relationships Matter, It Hurts to Care and Interpersonal Strengths. These overarching themes captured a multitude of factors that occur across three levels of influence: organisational, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Conclusions This integrative review highlights PTSD as a growing concern in the nursing profession. The thematic analysis and associated subthemes provide a framework for the design of interventions to reduce the risk of PTSD symptom development among nurses working in inpatient settings. Relevance to clinical practice Multitargeted efforts directed at the organisational, interpersonal and intrapersonal factors identified in this review may help mitigate the harmful impact of PTSD and promote nurse well‐being.