The Eruption of Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms from COVID

Did COVID expose the established poor work culture in the athletic training? Other healthcare workers were able to capture the reality. These findings serve as a cautionary note for healthcare organizations and leaders.

Post Traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the healthcare workforce was a significant issue before the pandemic. Concerningly, the COVID pandemic exacerbated PTSS in this population.

Research has highlighted psychological distress resulting from the COVID pandemic on healthcare workers (HCWs), including the development of PTSS. However, the degree to which these conditions have endured beyond the pandemic and the extent to which they affect the entire healthcare team remain unknown.

Factors associated with higher PTSS scores included burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress at work. Other major work-related stressors that were associated with higher PTSS scores included unpredictability of schedule or work location, discrimination at work, and feeling mistreated by other employees at work, rapid changes in workflows or policies, and inability or lack of support to take time off. Individual resilience and sense of recognition were associated with lower PTSS scores on average.

Major nonwork-related stressors associated with higher PTSS scores included high cost of goods and services or inadequate financial resources, and exhaustion.

HCWs who worked through the pandemic expressed concerns about leadership, including mistrust, lack of communication, and not feeling protected or supported.

Five requests from HCWs for their trauma-informed leaders:

(1) to be heard

(2) to be protected

(3) to be assisted in preparation

(4) to be supported

(5) to be cared for

These requests show the need for adequate trauma-informed leadership in healthcare organizations, which can result in physical, psychological, and emotional safety, trust, choices, collaboration, and empowerment for all HCWs.

Boitet, Laurence M. PhD; Meese, Katherine A. PhD; Hays, Megan M. PhD; Gorman, C. Allen PhD; Sweeney, Katherine L.; Rogers, David A. MD. Burnout, Moral Distress, and Compassion Fatigue as Correlates of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Clinical and Nonclinical Healthcare Workers. Journal of Healthcare Management. 2023:68(6), 427-451. DOI: 10.1097/JHM-D-23-00098

Shelby 7/2024