Prevalence of secondary traumatic stress and its associated factors among oncology nurses: a multicenter...

Although secondary traumatic stress (STS) is common in nurses and is associated with various psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression, the prevalence and its associated factors of STS specifically among oncology nurses remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of STS and its associated factors among oncology nurses.

A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted using convenience sampling to recruit nurses from five tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, between July and December 2025. Data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire, the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were employed to explore the factors associated with STS among oncology nurses.

Among the 536 enrolled oncology nurses, 342 (63.8%) were screened positive for STS symptoms based on the STSS threshold. Age (31-45 years: OR = 0.412, 95% CI: 0.181-0.929, p = 0.033; 46-60 years: OR = 0.315, 95% CI: 0.113-0.874, p = 0.026), educational background (undergraduate: OR = 0.637, 95% CI: 0.416-0.976, p = 0.038; postgraduate: OR = 0.505, 95% CI:0.467-0.851, p = 0.015), work experience (11-20 years: OR = 0.466, 95% CI: 0.351-0.658, p = 0.034; > 20 years: OR = 0.319, 95% CI:0.268-0.545, p = 0.017), night shift (OR = 1.752, 95% CI: 1.289-2.563, p = 0.035), sleep quality (OR = 2.354, 95% CI: 2.014-3.513, p < 0.001), and self-regulatory fatigue (OR = 1.647, 95% CI: 1.157-2.256, p < 0.001) were identified as significantly associated factors of STS among oncology nurses.

Our findings revealed that STS was highly prevalent among oncology nurses and was significantly correlated with age, educational background, work experience, night shift, sleep quality, and self-regulatory fatigue. These findings suggest that nursing managers should prioritize STS prevention by providing individualized psychosocial interventions, such as mindfulness training, resilience cultivation, peer support, and sleep hygiene education.