Post-Trauma Debriefing for the Prevention of Secondary Stress: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

The mental health and wellness of the nursing workforce remain a significant concern in the United States. Nurses are facing burnout and poor mental health, leading to high rates of turnover within the profession. Secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD) occurs in healthcare staff in response to exposure to the trauma of others and leads to physical symptoms, burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and a desire to leave the profession. The unique nature of maternity care leaves labor and delivery nurses especially susceptible to STSD, which may lead to reduced mental and physical health and poor patient care. The effects of STSD drive many nurses out of the profession and further exacerbate the nursing shortage. To create a resilient and sustainable workforce, programs addressing the impact of STSD must be implemented. Psychological debriefing with team support provides nurses with mental health care and resources during emotionally stressful times. Debriefing is routinely used in healthcare after emergent or distressing events. Unfortunately, most debriefing protocols focus solely on process improvement and neglect the mental health needs of the participants. Integrating mental health resources into standard debriefing protocols is critical to address the impact secondary trauma has on nursing staff. The purpose of this project was to initiate a debriefing protocol with a mental health component to reduce the effects of STSD on labor and delivery nurses.