title: Responding to Emotional Stress in Pediatric Hospitals: Results From a National Survey of Chief Nursing Officers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify leadership awareness of emotional stress and employee support efforts in pediatric hospitals.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The current pediatric environment has seen increases in treatment intensity, care duration, and acuity of patients resulting in increased likelihood of being exposed to emotional events.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mail survey was sent to chief nursing officers at 87 pediatric hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 49 responses (56%) were received. Hospitals with less than 250 beds were significantly more likely to rate emotional stress as a large to very large problem, whereas ANCC Magnet® hospitals felt better about support efforts after patient deaths. Most commonly used support offerings focused on staff recovery after a traumatic event as opposed to training for prevention of emotional stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emotional stress is a well-recognized issue in pediatric hospitals with comparatively large resource commitment. Further focus on caregiver prevention training and unit leadership recognition of stress may be needed.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: Children's Mercy Kansas City (Mr Huetsch); and Health Management and Policy, Saint Louis University (Dr Green), Missouri.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huetsch
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D004644:Emotions; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological