Tehran University of Medical Sciences

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Evaluation of Posttraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth in Nurses Working in Neonatal Wards of Tehran Hospitals During the Covid-19 Pandemic Publisher



Pouraboli B1 ; Farhadzadeh M2 ; Foomani FK1 ; Ranjbar H3
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Pediatric and Neonatal Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: Journal of Neonatal Nursing Published:2025


Abstract

Objectives: Although posttraumatic stress has been reported to be a traumatic and unavoidable part of the pandemic, certain nurses have experienced posttraumatic growth as a health-oriented outcome. Research in this area has focused mostly on the frontline departments involved in the fight against COVID-19, and despite the constant psychological challenges associated with their jobs, neonatal nurses have been overlooked. This study aimed to investigate posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth in nurses working in neonatal wards of Tehran hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design and methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 627 nurses working in 40 neonatal wards of affiliated hospitals of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences. 194 nurses were selected by simple random method based on the entry criteria. Data were collected using demographic, post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic growth questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS 26 software. Results: 66% of the participants reported no PTSD, while 34% reported experiencing PTSD. The mean PTSD score was 31.67. Additionally, the mean PTGI score was 16.22, indicating that the subjects did not exhibit significant posttraumatic growth. Conclusion: Most of the neonatal nurses did not experience PTSD, but the percentage of those who did (34%) cannot be overlooked. Additionally, the results suggest that the studied nurses did not exhibit significant posttraumatic growth, indicating the need to take appropriate measures to enhance the mental health of neonatal nurses. Peractice implications: This study emphasizes the need to pay attention to the mental health of neonatal nurses, especially during pandemics. © 2024 Neonatal Nurses Association