Occurrence of post traumatic stress symptoms and their relationship to professional quality of life (ProQoL) in nursing staff at a forensic psychiatric security unit: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Violence is frequent towards nurses in forensic mental health hospitals. Implications of this high risk environment have not been systematically explored. This paper explores occurrence of symptoms on post traumatic stress and their relationship to professional quality of life.


METHODS
Self report questionnaires assessing symptoms of post traumatic stress and professional quality of life were distributed among psychiatric nurses in a high security forensic psychiatric unit with high frequency of violent behaviour. Relationships between post traumatic stress symptoms, forensic nursing experience, type of ward and compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue were explored.


RESULTS
The prevalence of post traumatic stress symptoms was low. Low scores were found on compassion satisfaction. Length of psychiatric nursing experience and low scores on compassion satisfaction were correlated to increased post traumatic stress symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Although high violence frequency, low rate of post traumatic stress symptoms and low compassion satisfaction scores was found. High staff/patient ratio and emotional distance between staff and patients are discussed as protective factors.
St. Olav's University Hospital, Forensic department Brøset, Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Trondheim, Norway. christian.lauvrud@ntnu.no
Christian
C
Lauvrud
Kåre
K
Nonstad
Tom
T
Palmstierna
D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004645:Empathy; D004834:Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006757:Hospital Units; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence