Effects of secondary traumatic stress amongst nurses in an acute tertiary psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mental healthcare nurses (MHCNs) are often exposed to the narratives of the mental healthcare users (MHCUs) who often describe graphic details of occurrences or incidents they have experienced such as child abuse, violence and sexual assault. Due to their empathetic engagement and level of exposure to the MHCUs trauma, MHCNs may become traumatised themselves resulting in secondary traumatic stress (STS). PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence and the personal and professional effects of STS among nurses working in a tertiary psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). METHODOLOGY: The study followed a quantitative, non-experimental descriptive design and took place at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in KZN. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select 183 respondents. Data were collected using survey questionnaires. The theoretical framework was the Professional Quality of Life Model (ProQOL) (Stamm 2005). RESULTS: The findings of this study showed that there is a prevalence of STS. Although 66.5% (n = 122) of the respondents experienced little too mild to no STS, a significant percentage of the respondents (33.5%, n = 61) experienced moderate to high levels of STS. The enrolled nurses (ENs) reported higher levels of STS, job dissatisfaction and personal life dissatisfaction compared to the registered nurses (RNs) and enrolled nursing assistants (ENAs). RECOMMENDATIONS: The inclusion of STS into the nursing curriculum is recommended.