Working with terminally ill patients is regarded as a stressful or traumatic event and may lead to negative outcomes, including job burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS). Psychological resilience might protect employees from the negative consequences of stress. The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of job burnout in the relationship between psychological resilience and STS. The study included 72 nurses aged from 22 to 72 years old (M ϭ 46.01, SD ϭ 10.69), working with terminally ill patients. The recipients completed 3 questionnaires: the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and the Resilience Measurement. The results reveal negative associations between resilience, job burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, and a positive correlation between secondary traumatic stress and job burnout. Mediation analysis showed that job burnout plays a mediating role in the relationship between psychological resilience and secondary traumatic stress. Our findings highlight the role played by job burnout in the manifestation of STS. Professional and nonprofessional interventions for individuals experiencing work-related traumatic stress would benefit from interventions that build personal resources. Impact StatementThe aim of the research was to draw individuals attention to psychologically risk associated with helping terminally ill people. This study show that nurses experiencing job burnout may be more susceptible to secondary traumatic stress after indirect exposure to trauma. The findings also suggest that building personal resources in the form of resilience is an important thing that supports mental health and enables to perform the professional role adequately.

Introduction Medical personnel is an occupational group that is especially prone to secondary traumatic stress. The factors conditioning its occurrence include organizational and work-related factors, as well as personal features and traits. The aim of this study was to determine Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) indicators in a group of medical personnel, considering occupational load, job satisfaction, social support, and cognitive processing of trauma. Material and methods Results obtained from 419 medical professionals, paramedics and nurses, were analyzed. The age of study participants ranged from 19 to 65 (M = 39.60, SD = 11.03). A questionnaire developed for this research including questions about occupational indicators as well as four standard evaluation tools: Secondary Traumatic Stress Inventory, Job Satisfaction Scale, Social Support Scale which measures four support sources (supervisors, coworkers, family, friends) and Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale which allows to evaluate cognitive coping strategies (positive cognitive restructuring, downward comparison, resolution/acceptance, denial, regret) were used in the study. Results The results showed that the main predictor of STS symptoms in the studied group of medical personnel is job satisfaction. Two cognitive strategies also turned out to be predictors of STS, that is regret (positive relation) and resolution/acceptance (negative relation). The contribution of other analyzed variables, i.e., denial, workload and social support to explaining the dependent variable is rather small. Conclusions Paramedics and nurses are at the high risk of indirect traumatic exposure and thus may be more prone to secondary traumatic stress symptoms development. It is important to include the medical personnel in the actions aiming at prevention and reduction of STS symptoms.

Background : People helping trauma victims as a part of their work may experience positive results, known as Secondary Posttraumatic Growth (SPTG). Aim : The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of SPTG among medical personnel, considering occupational load, job satisfaction, social support, and cognitive processing of trauma, understood as cognitive coping strategies. Methods : Subjects comprised 419 representatives of the medical profession, including paramedics and nurses. The age of the subjects varied from 19 to 65 (M = 39.60; SD = 11.03). Four standard measurement tools were utilized: the Secondary Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Job Satisfaction Scale, the Social Support Scale, which measured four support sources, and the Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale to assess five cognitive coping strategies. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were applied to analyse the connections between the variables. A linear stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the determinants of SPTG. Pearson’s correlation coefficients with confidence intervals were applied to analyse the connections between the variables. Results : As many as 40% of participants experienced high levels of growth, with only 27.4% indicating a low level. The obtained results showed positive links between job satisfaction, all social support dimensions (from supervisors, co-workers, family, friends), all cognitive coping strategies (positive cognitive restructuring, downward comparison, resolution/acceptance, denial, regret), and SPTG. No significant connection between workload and SPTG total was discovered. The primary determinant of SPTG in the examined group of medical personnel is the cognitive processing of trauma, chiefly the strategy of positive cognitive restructuring. Conclusions : Paramedics and nurses, despite their exposure to secondary trauma, experience positive posttraumatic consequences of the profession that entails helping the injured parties. It is advisable to encourage the medical personnel to apply positive coping strategies, find satisfaction in their work, and benefit from social support to promote posttraumatic growth.