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Published on: September 22, 2023
Validating the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Pediatric Nurses
Marni B Kellogg1, Jacqueline S Dowling2, Margaret Knight2
1College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, Massachusetts mkellogg@umassd.edu.
Background And Purpose:
Secondary traumatic stress is a state of mental distress resulting from indirect exposure to the traumatic situation of another individual. The literature indicates that secondary traumatic stress is a problem in some areas of nursing and may cause nurses to leave the profession. This article examines the psychometrics of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) with a sample of pediatric nurses.
Methods:
The STSS was completed by a random sample of 350 Certified Pediatric Nurses. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were completed to assess the STSS and its subscales.
Results:
Cronbach's αs ranged from 0.81 to 0.87 for each factor, and was 0.92 for the STSS as a whole. Fit indices were similar for all models.
Conclusions:
Reliability statistics and fit indices support the previous psychometric studies.
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