Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Nurses: A Brief Unit-Based Group Program

Abstract

The nursing profession requires constant adaptation to change, along with resilience and unwavering provision of excellent patient care. Secondary traumatic stress (STS) challenges this adaptive process and provision of patient care, leaving nurses with impairment in several well-being domains critical to resilience, including emotional, physical, spiritual, and professional well-being. STS is described as experiencing a patient’s trauma, resulting in a form of posttraumatic stress disorder with hyperarousal, avoidance, sleep disturbance, intrusive thoughts, mood disturbance, and impaired performance. Currently there is a nationwide paradigm shift among national and state nursing associations about how to address stress in nursing and support the well-being of nursing professionals. However, many nurses often do not recognize the signs of stress in themselves or colleagues, and they tend not to utilize strategies for prevention or intervention. Also, it is difficult for busy nursing professionals providing direct patient care to leave their units to engage in stress management programs offered by their institutions. This article addresses this gap and presents a short-term, four-session unit-based group model that integrates cognitive behavioral strategies and mindfulness practice for stress reduction, which has been implemented at a large, busy, urban academic medical center in the Northeast. The short-term unit-based group model aims to assist nursing professionals with recognition, prevention, and mitigation of stress. Such an intervention supports the emotional well-being of nursing professionals, which in turn contributes to a resilient and engaged workforce, a high-functioning team, and improved patient care.