Secondary traumatic stress and vicarious posttraumatic growth in oncology nurses: the mediating role of empathy

作者：Yitong Cai, Ming Liu, Yifei Li, Juan Li, Jie Geng, Xiaoying Liu, Jingping Zhang · 发表于：Frontiers in Public Health · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3389/fpubh.2024.1454998 · 被引用次数：12 · 研究领域：Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout、Nursing education and management、Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Background: The relationship between secondary traumatic stress (STS), empathy, and vicarious post-traumatic growth (VPTG) in oncology nurses is unclear. Understanding these links is crucial for improving nurse well-being and patient care quality. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between STS, empathy, and VPTG among oncology nurses. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a multicentric setting. Data collection involved oncology nurses completing questionnaires assessing STS, empathy, and VPTG levels. Data analysis included correlation analyses, multiple stepwise regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the interrelationships between these variables. The study adhered to the STROBE checklist. Results: A total of 391 oncology nurses participated in the study. They showed moderate to low levels of VPTG and high levels of STS. STS exhibited a negative association with VPTG, while empathy demonstrated a positive direct association with both VPTG and STS. Moreover, SEM indicated that empathy mediated the relationship between STS and VPTG, with a partial mediating effect of 0.127. Factors such as receiving psychological training, educational attainment, STS, and empathy collectively explained 24% of the variance in VPTG. Conclusion: Our findings highlighted the negative correlation between STS and VPTG among oncology nurses. Additionally, empathy was found to mediate the relationship between STS and VPTG, sugges...