OCCURRENCE AND COPING STRATEGIES FOR SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS AMONG EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT NURSES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorAbdat, Lubna Bashar
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-28T11:18:57Z
dc.date.available2025-08-28T11:18:57Z
dc.date.issued2025-06-22
dc.description.abstractAbstract Introduction: Emergency nurses are known for their frequent exposure to traumatic events during their care of patients, especially during challenging and stressful events, which places them at high risk for developing Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), which emerges from empathic engagement with suffering patients and leads to psychological distress. Several factors related to individual traits, work environment and coping strategies can significantly influence the development and severity of STS symptoms. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of STS among Palestinian emergency nurses, explore related demographic and work factors, evaluate coping strategies, social support, and exposure to stress, and examine their interrelationships, to inform targeted training and policy interventions. Method: The current study implemented a cross-sectional design on a convenience sample of 80 emergency nurses. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that contained valid tools of Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), Social Support Scale (SSS) and Stressful Events at Work (SEW) scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS and with the commitment of ethical considerations. Results: Nurses had a mean age of 30.53 years old, with a mean experience of 7.90 years, with 56.3% males, 56.3% working in private hospitals, 88.8% reported experiencing STS and 57.5% underwent related training or course. The mean score of STS was 62.738, while the CISS had a mean score of 3.719, compared to 3.656 for SSS and 3.731 for SEW. Working in governmental sector, more night shifts and experiencing previous STS were associated with higher STS, higher CISS and higher SEW. Significant correlations between all scales were present, while experience was significantly correlated with less SSS scores. Conclusion: The current study highlighted the high prevalence of STS among Palestinian emergency nurses, with the presence of high social support, coping efforts and exposure to stressful events, which are higher among those who are working in the governmental hospitals, more night shifts and/or prior experience of STS. These findings highlight the critical need for targeted training and organizational support, added to policy interventions, which may help address the psychological burden in this conflict-affected healthcare environment. Keywords: secondary traumatic stress, coping, social support, stressful events, emergency department, emergency nurses.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11888/20383
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAn-Najah National University
dc.supervisorSaid, Nizar
dc.titleOCCURRENCE AND COPING STRATEGIES FOR SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS AMONG EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT NURSES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
dc.title.alternativeتواجد واستراتيجيات التعامل مع الصدمات النفسية الثانوية بين التمريض في أقسام الطوارئ: دراسة مقطعية
dc.typeThesis
Files
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Medical and Health Sciences