Student perspectives on potential sources of trauma exposure during nursing school

Abstract

Adverse effects of events experienced by nursing students as harmful during nursing school have included moral distress, prolonged grief reactions, secondary traumatic stress, and anxiety and depression during nursing school. Nursing student perceptions of potential sources of trauma exposure also known as potentially traumatic events (PTEs) during nursing school are lacking in the literature. The purpose of this study was to describe nursing students' perceptions of potential sources of trauma exposure during nursing school at one private school of nursing. Four online, synchronous focus groups with undergraduate nursing students were conducted in April 2020. Four themes emerged from analysis of focus group transcripts related to potential sources of trauma exposure: Individual‐oriented interpersonal sources, nursing student‐oriented interpersonal sources, nursing student‐oriented institutional and organizational sources, and individual‐oriented community sources. Participants focused on nursing student‐oriented, interpersonal, and institutional and organizational potential sources of trauma exposure, while minimizing individual‐oriented, community, and macro‐level potential sources of student trauma exposure during nursing school. Findings advance discussions of organizational, systems, and community PTEs in nursing education. Trauma‐informed educational and healthcare systems that promote the academic and career success of nursing students should be considered in PTE prevention efforts.

The relationship between secondary traumatic stress level and perceived caring behaviors among nursing students

“…Nursing students' empathy for the traumatized individual and/or learning about the trauma experienced by the individual may cause the development of secondary traumatic stress symptoms (14,15). It is known that students who experience secondary traumatic stress have difficulty in showing compassion and an empathic approach to themselves and patients and do not want to do the nursing profession (7,10,14,15).…”

“…Nursing students' empathy for the traumatized individual and/or learning about the trauma experienced by the individual may cause the development of secondary traumatic stress symptoms (14,15). It is known that students who experience secondary traumatic stress have difficulty in showing compassion and an empathic approach to themselves and patients and do not want to do the nursing profession (7,10,14,15). In this study, which was conducted to examine the relationship between secondary traumatic stress level and perceived care behaviors of nursing students, it was found that the mean STSS score of the students was 32.…”

“…Similar problems are also seen in nursing students who experience secondary traumatic stress. This experience that nursing students may experience in clinical practice, which constitutes an important part of their professional education, may be effective in the development of the thought of "not wanting to do the nursing profession" (14,15). Bayri Bingöl et al (2020) conducted a study with Turkish midwifery students and found that students who experienced secondary traumatic stress had significantly higher thoughts of not wanting to practice midwifery compared to students who did not experience trauma (10).…”

Incivility and the faculty shortage in nursing academia

“…ncivility and bullying are pervasive issues affecting novice nurse educators and clinical nurses alike. [1][2][3] The phrase "nurses eat their young" is still commonly heard in current working environments of nurses. 4 Incivility is defined as "rude or unsociable speech or behavior" and refers to disrespectful and impolite behaviors and comments.…”

“…Incivility and bullying are pervasive issues affecting novice nurse educators and clinical nurses alike 1-3. The phrase “nurses eat their young” is still commonly heard in current working environments of nurses 4…”