Nurses' Psychological Trauma and Cognitive Control in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Psychology
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Nurses faced unique traumas during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Limited understanding exists regarding outcomes and contributing factors of nurse-specific traumas.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine relationships between nurse-specific traumas, psychological outcomes, and contributing factors.
• Utilize the middle-range theory of nurses' psychological trauma (NPT).
• Focus on frontline nurses in critical care settings.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative cross-sectional study design.
• Comparison between probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and not-probable PTSD nurses.
• Investigated nurse-specific traumas, personality traits, and buffers.
• Examined associations between trauma types and negative outcomes like alcohol use.

Main Results:

• Probable PTSD nurses reported higher trauma from disasters and system/medically induced events.
• Lower resilience and specific psychological traits (urgency, avoidance motivation) were noted in probable PTSD nurses.
• Trauma from disasters correlated with alcohol use.

Conclusions:

• Elevated trauma, reduced resilience, and specific psychological traits characterize probable PTSD nurses.
• Targeted interventions are crucial for mitigating negative outcomes in frontline nurses.
• Further research is needed to understand and address nurse-specific traumas.