Burnout and secondary traumatic stress in medical-surgical nursing

Day to day care of patients throughout the continuum life puts nurses at risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS). This mixed-methods study explores Medical-Surgical (MS) nursing burnout, STS, support from professional organization leadership membership perspectives. Seventy-two were recruited a website surveyed provide demographic Professional Quality Life Scale Version 5 (ProQOLv5) data. After quantitative data collection, nurse respondents asked if they would like participate in Zoom interview. Qualitative was derived in-depth interviews six medical-surgical free-text responses three other participants. The interviewed provided detailed personal definitions which led identification themes “awareness” “triggers: fueling fire burnout,” also exposed fluctuating nature burnout. Participants defined STS as “invasiveness into one’s life” reflected on impact that it can have both personally professionally. Despite invasiveness revealed passion served driving force day-to-day struggle, affirming, “I am med-surg nurse.” Overcoming lead “lessons learned: I did not know what know,” focused growth development. An overarching theme “dream vs. reality” captures these stabilizing destabilizing forces play bedside MS nursing.