Translational research - Pediatric nursing: Caring for children

Secondary traumatic stress among pediatric nurses: Relationship to peer-organizational support and emotional labor strategies

BACKGROUND

Even though the cost of caring is acknowledged in multiple helping professions, research into secondary traumatic stress in pediatric nursing remains limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress among pediatric nurses and examine its correlation with demographics, perceived organizational support, peer support, and emotional labor strategies.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 186 nurses working in a pediatric hospital completed questionnaires addressing secondary traumatic stress, perceived organizational support, peer support, and emotional labor strategies. Through correlational and mediation analyses, we explored the relationships between the study variables.

RESULTS

Approximately 77.8% of the pediatric nurses surveyed exhibited moderate to severe secondary traumatic stress. Notably, the level of secondary traumatic stress did not correlate with demographic variables. Increased peer support was significantly associated with a heightened use of all emotional labor strategies (surface acting, deep acting, and natural expression) and with elevated levels of secondary traumatic stress. However, surface acting was the sole mediator of this relationship. Conversely, greater perceived organizational support correlated with decreased levels of surface acting and secondary traumatic stress, with surface acting serving as the mediator.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric nurses are greatly impacted by secondary traumatic stress. Enhancing organizational support and carefully assessing peer support can reduce this, by decreasing nurses' need to suppress or feign genuine emotions.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

To enhance nurses' psychological well-being, healthcare institutions should raise awareness of secondary traumatization and foster a supportive organizational environment that prioritizes effective team emotional support and evaluates collegial emotional labor.

"Mind the gap": Exploring pediatric nurses` perceptions of the theory and practice of caring for children and families

PURPOSE

To investigate how pediatric nurses interpret and conceptualize theoretical underpinnings and daily practice scenarios pertaining to their role in pediatric care.

DESIGN AND METHODS

139 pediatric nurses completed a survey in which they were asked to endorse to what extent practices related to pediatric concepts are expected from their role ("Expected") or are actually implemented in their clinical work ("Actual"). Survey items were derived from a nursing textbook that outlines the theoretical tenets of the "art of pediatric nursing", along with scenarios and conflicts encountered in everyday practice, covering family-child centered care, child growth and development, and emotional boundaries.

RESULTS

In both Expected and Actual practices, the highest level of endorsement was for items focused on core elements of family-centered care (80-96%), and moderate-low endorsement levels were observed for items related to therapeutic relationship management and emotional boundaries. A factor analysis yielded 12 factors representing themes related to pediatric nursing. However, the division of items per factor indicated diffusion between key concepts and a discrepancy between theory and practice, especially in regard to maintaining emotional separateness and objectivity, advocacy, managing conflicts within the nurse-child-family triad, and navigating oneself boundaries.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses' ability to manage and contain various types of unclear boundaries is crucial for optimal care provision when working with children and families.

PRACTICE IMPLICATION

Variability in nurses' theoretical role-perception and practical care provision is largely attributed to the way they navigate various ambiguous boundaries in practice and this could be a focal point in educational programs and on-the-job training.