Vicarious trauma in nursing: A hybrid concept analysis

Abstract Background Vicarious trauma can significantly affect the physical and mental health of nurses, as well as their ability to provide quality of care. However, the concept of vicarious trauma has received limited attention and remains controversial in the nursing context. Objective The purpose of this study was to clarify and define the concept of vicarious trauma as it pertains to the nursing context. Methods The Schwartz and Kim's three‐stage hybrid concept analysis method was used to define the concept. In the theoretical phase, PubMed, CINAHL, OVID, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, PsycINFO, CNKI database, VIP database and Wanfang database were used using keywords “nurs*”and “vicarious trauma*”, resulting in a total of 25 papers. In the fieldwork phase, we conducted participatory observations in three hospitals and semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with 18 clinical nurses from seven cities. In the analysis phase, the results of the previous two phases were integrated to develop a comprehensive concept of vicarious trauma in nursing. Results Based on the results of the theoretical and field phases, we propose the concept of vicarious trauma in nursing as follows: vicarious trauma is a psychological trauma impacting nurses' cognitive schema which they may experience in clinical settings or on social media, resulting from deeply empathize with the physical or emotional trauma of patients, family, or colleagues, such as patients' physical injuries or death, family's grieving feelings and colleagues' received threats and attacks. Positively, vicarious trauma can transform into vicarious post‐trauma growth through repositioning and connection, nourishing nurses and promoting their personal and professional development. Conclusion The concept of vicarious trauma in nursing is multidimensional and holistic. This study clarifies the concept of vicarious trauma in nursing using the hybrid concept analysis, providing a framework for future research and practice on vicarious trauma in the nursing field. Patient or Public Contribution Nurses contributed to the conduct of the study by participating in the data collection via interviews.