Examination of the experiences of psychiatric nurses who work with traumatized individuals, An

Long, Nicole M.

Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon University, Faculty of Health Studies

2019

v, 97 pages

thesis

Includes bibliographical references (pages 77-86).
"In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Psychiatric Nursing."

English

The experience of psychiatric nurses who work with traumatized individuals has received very little research attention in North America, leaving a significant gap in the existing literature. Evidence from other helping disciplines suggests the occurrence of both negative and positive impacts upon professionals who engage with the traumatic material of their clients. Constructs such as vicarious trauma and vicarious post-traumatic growth have been used to describe these impacts. This study aimed to contribute to the limited knowledge of these impacts on psychiatric nurses by using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore their lived experience of working with traumatized individuals. Themes identified from semi-structured interviews with six Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) were as follows: awareness of trauma prevalence among clients, participants’ personal trauma, negative impacts of working with traumatized clients, positive impacts of working with traumatized clients, protective factors, shifts in philosophy of practice, and lack of organizational supports. Sub-themes were further identified under participants’ personal trauma, negative and positive impacts of working with traumatized clients, and protective factors. Findings are discussed with attention to the implications for RPNs, psychiatric nursing educators, and employers, and areas for further research are identified. Areas for further research are discussed based on questions that arose from the findings of this study.

Psychiatric nurses--Job stress
Psychiatric nurses--Psychology
Psychiatric nurses--Mental health
Mental health personnel and patient
Psychic trauma

Brandon University
Faculty of Health Studies