Aim To investigate the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress among Emergency nurses in the West of Scotland and explore their experiences of this. Background Unexpected death, trauma and violence are regular occurrences that contribute to the stressful environment nurses working in the Emergency department experience. A potential consequence of repeated exposure to such stressors can be referred to as secondary traumatic stress. Design Triangulation of methods of data collection, using two distinct phases: Phase 1 – quantitative Phase 2 – qualitative Methods Quantitative data were collated via postal questionnaire, from a convenience sample of Emergency nurses. Qualitative data were subsequently collated from a focus group constituting of a random sample of these Emergency nurses. Descriptive statistics were computed and thematic analysis conducted. All data were collated during February 2013. Results/findings 75% of the sampled Emergency nurses reported at least one secondary traumatic stress symptom in the last week. Participants said that acute occupational stressors such as resuscitation and death were the influencing factors towards this. Strategies such as formal debriefing and social support were cited as beneficial tools for the management of secondary traumatic stress; however, barriers such as time and experience were found to inhibit their common use. Conclusion Secondary traumatic stress is a prevalent phenomenon among Emergency nurses in the West of Scotland and if not managed appropriately, could represent a significant barrier to the mental health of this group and their capacity to provide quality care.

Data sources: CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus and ASSIA, with dates limited from 2015 to 2020, were used to conduct a systematic search of the literature. Review methods:The Joanna Briggs Institute approach was followed, with results reported according to the Preferred Reporting System for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The associated checklist for systematic reviews was also used. A standardised data extraction tool was then used, with quality appraisal guided by the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, with a subsequent convergent qualitative synthesis.Results: Sixteen papers were identified for inclusion, nine quantitative, six qualitative and one mixed methods. Four themes were identified: research competence and culture, proactive research mentorship, research resources and making a difference.These were critically discussed in relation to barriers and enablers to the conduct of research by nurses in clinical practice. Commonly cited barriers included a lack of research knowledge, confidence and access to resources, particularly protected time, while enablers such as educational partnerships, identifying research-motivated clinical nurses and access to research role models were also apparent in the literature.Conclusions: Globally, nurses in clinical practice are clearly motivated to engage in the research process despite apparent barriers that have a significant impact on productivity. Nevertheless, there are also enablers to building research capacity apparent that offer methodological and structural approaches to empower this group to conduct research.