Patterns of vicarious trauma and vicarious posttraumatic growth among oncology nurses: a latent profile analysis

Vicarious trauma (VT) and vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) are potential psychological responses of oncology nurses to indirect exposure to traumatic events in long-term clinical practice. However, limited research has examined the concurrent patterns of VT and VPTG. This study aimed to identify the coexisting patterns of VT and VPTG among oncology nurses and explore the specific predictors of these subgroups.

The Medics' Vicarious Trauma Scale and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory were utilized to assess self-reported VT and VPTG among 401 Chinese oncology nurses across multiple hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China. Latent profile analysis was conducted to explore potential patterns of VT and VPTG, and multinomial logistic regression was applied to investigate factors influencing these profiles.

The latent profile analysis results indicated that a three-class profile best fit the data, characterized by the following patterns: mild VT - high VPTG (45.9%), mid VT - mid VPTG (30.2%), and mild VT - mild VPTG (23.9%). Variations in VT and VPTG patterns were associated with age, fertility status, job satisfaction, and social support.

These findings enhance understanding of the coexisting patterns of VT and VPTG and provide valuable insights for clinical administrators to implement tailored managerial and supportive interventions for oncology nurses.