Exploring trauma recovery in nurses: a text mining and thematic analysis based on Swanson's theory of caring

In their personal lives and workplace, nurses are exposed to traumatic events, which heighten their risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. However, targeted interventions to promote psychological recovery among nurses are limited. This study explored the emotional and psychological recovery processes of nurses who participated in an Internet-based Trauma Recovery Nursing Intervention (IBTRNI) based on Swanson's Theory of Caring.

This study conducted a secondary qualitative analysis of free-text responses collected from 102 nurses who completed IBTRNI, as part of a survey-based study with both closed- and open-ended questions. Text mining was utilized to identify high-frequency keywords, and thematic analysis provided deeper emotional and psychological insights. The analysis was structured around Swanson's three phases: "Knowing," "Doing For," and "Enabling."

In the "Knowing phase," the participants demonstrated increased self-awareness, recognizing their emotional responses and the effects of negative thoughts on daily life. The "Doing For" phase revealed enhanced emotional regulation, where participants learned to manage and transform negative emotions into positive ones. Finally, the "Enabling" participants developed improved interpersonal relationships and adopted effective coping mechanisms, including communication and mindfulness practices, to manage stress and promote resilience.

Swanson's Theory of Caring provides a robust framework for supporting nurses' trauma recovery. The combination of text mining and thematic analysis offers a comprehensive understanding of the emotional and psychological transformations experienced during the intervention. The findings underscore the potential for theory-based digital interventions to support trauma recovery among healthcare professionals. Future research should expand on these methodologies to enhance their broader applicability.

This study involved secondary data analysis. The primary study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov-US National Library of Medicine (clinical trial registration number: NCT04989582) on 2022-01-31 and is available online.