Determination of Psychological Resilience and Secondary Traumatic Stress Levels of Nurses Caring for Earthquake Victims

Authors : Hamide Şişman, Şeyma Yurtseven, Dudu Alptekin

Pages : 362-368

Doi:10.54005/geneltip.1632967

View : 12 | Download : 26

Publication Date : 2025-04-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Abstract Aim: The purpose of this study was to raise awareness of this problem and assess the psychological resilience and secondary traumatic stress levels of surgical nurses who provide care for both earthquake victims and non-earthquake victims. Material and Methods: 370 surgical nurses who worked in a university hospital between May and July 2023 and witnessed the earthquake and treated earthquake victims participated in the descriptive and cross-sectional study. Data were collected by the researcher through face-to-face interviews using the \\\"Personal Information Form,\\\" \\\"Psychological Resilience Scale,\\\" and \\\"Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale Turkish Form\\\" in the literature database. Results: They scored 55.1±9.9 (min=9, max=83) on the resilience scale, 17.8±3.9 (min=2, max=28) on the commitment sub-dimension, 17.4±3.4 (min=5, max=27) on the control sub-dimension, 20.4±4.5 (min=1, max=29) on the challenge sub-dimension, and 54±12.3 (min=17, max=85) on the secondary traumatic stress scale. There was a weak, negatively significant relationship between secondary traumatic stress levels (54±12.3) and psychological resilience levels (r=-131, p<0.05). Conclusion: Secondary traumatic stress levels were found to be high in surgical nurses who were earthquake victims themselves and who provided care to earthquake-stricken patients, and as their stress levels increased, their psychological resilience levels decreased.
Keywords : eartquake, eartquake victims, resilience level, secondary traumatic stress, surgical nurses