J Korean Clin Nurs Res.  2024 Dec;30(3):294-303. 10.22650/JKCNR.2024.30.3.294.

Traumatic Events and Factors Influencing Post-Traumatic Growth in Intensive Care Unit Nurses: Cognitive Emotion Regulation, Self-Exposure, and Emotional Support

• Choi Mj
• Kim HJ

• KMID: 2567671
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22650/JKCNR.2024.30.3.294

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency and types of traumatic events experienced by intensive care unit nurses and to identify factors affecting their post-traumatic growth.
Methods
A descriptive correlational study was conducted. A total of 136 intensive care unit nurses, were participated. Data were collected at two university hospitals from April 15 to 28, 2021 using questionnaires on trauma event experience, post-traumatic growth, cognitive emotion regulation, self-exposure, and emotional support. The data were analyzed by t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis.
Results
The main influencing factors of post-traumatic growth in intensive care unit nurses were using adaptive cognitive emotion regulation, having higher peer emotional support, and being married, which accounted for 22.4% of the explained variance. The most common traumatic events were ‘caring for patients with abnormal behavior,’ ‘providing end-of-life and postmortem care,’ and ‘failing to resuscitate patients despite ongoing treatment.’ The most distressful traumatic events was ‘verbal or physical violence of the patient’s family’.
Conclusion
The intervention strategies to foster adaptive cognitive emotion regulation and to create a supportive peer environment could help intensive care unit nurses to achieve post traumatic growth after experiencing traumatic events.

Keyword

Posttraumatic Growth; Cognitive Emotion Regulation; Emotional Support; Intensive Care Units; Nurses