Does vicarious traumatisation affect oncology nurses? A literature review.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Psychology
• Oncology

Background:

• Nurses, particularly in cancer care, experience significant work-related stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.
• Existing literature identifies various terms for this stress, but vicarious traumatization is predominantly studied within mental health professions.
• Vicarious traumatization involves negative transformation of a therapist's inner experience through empathic engagement with client trauma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the concept of vicarious traumatization to the field of oncology nursing.
• To argue for the exploration and empirical investigation of vicarious traumatization in oncology nurses.
• To highlight the current limitations of research on vicarious traumatization outside of mental health.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing research on nurse stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization.
• Analysis of the applicability of vicarious traumatization to the oncology nursing context.
• Identification of research gaps concerning vicarious traumatization in oncology nursing.

Main Results:

• Work-related stress is well-documented in nursing, with cancer nursing being a high-stress specialty.
• Vicarious traumatization is a recognized phenomenon in mental health professionals but lacks empirical investigation in oncology nurses.
• The potential for oncology nurses to experience vicarious traumatization exists due to patient trauma disclosure.

Conclusions:

• The concept of vicarious traumatization should be considered and explored within oncology nursing.
• There is a critical need for empirical research to determine the prevalence and impact of vicarious traumatization on oncology nurses.
• Expanding the understanding of vicarious traumatization beyond mental health professions is essential for supporting healthcare workers.