title: Risk of vicarious trauma in nursing research: a focused mapping review and synthesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a snapshot of how vicarious trauma is considered within the published nursing research literature.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Vicarious trauma (secondary traumatic stress) has been the focus of attention in nursing practice for many years. The most pertinent areas to invoke vicarious trauma in research have been suggested as abuse/violence and death/dying. What is not known is how researchers account for the risks of vicarious trauma in research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focused mapping review and synthesis. Empirical studies meeting criteria for abuse/violence or death/dying in relevant Scopus ranked top nursing journals (n = 6) January 2009 to December 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relevant papers were scrutinised for the extent to which researchers discussed the risk of vicarious trauma. Aspects of the studies were mapped systematically to a pre-defined template, allowing patterns and gaps in authors' reporting to be determined. These were synthesised into a coherent profile of current reporting practices and from this, a new conceptualisation seeking to anticipate and address the risk of vicarious trauma was developed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two thousand five hundred and three papers were published during the review period, of which 104 met the inclusion criteria. Studies were distributed evenly by method (52 qualitative; 51 quantitative; one mixed methods) and by focus (54 abuse/violence; 50 death/dying). The majority of studies (98) were carried out in adult populations. Only two papers reported on vicarious trauma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The conceptualisation of vicarious trauma takes account of both sensitivity of the substantive data collected, and closeness of those involved with the research. This might assist researchers in designing ethical and protective research and foreground the importance of managing risks of vicarious trauma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vicarious trauma is not well considered in research into clinically important topics. Our proposed framework allows for consideration of these so that precautionary measures can be put in place to minimise harm to staff.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. J.Taylor.3@bham.ac.uk.|Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK. J.Taylor.3@bham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bradbury-Jones
authors.affiliation: Scottish Improvement Science Collaborating Centre (SISCC), University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Jenna P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Breckenridge
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver Rudolf
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Herber
mesh_terms: D000068376:Compassion Fatigue; D006801:Humans; D015399:Nursing Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: abuse; bereavement; death; mapping review; nursing; risk; secondary emotional distress; sensitive issues research; vicarious trauma; violence