ABSTRACT
Psychological distress in nursing is common, particularly in the acute care settings. Nurses typically go in to the profession of nursing because they want to “care” for patients, not knowing that the inherent stresses of the work environment put them at risk for moral distress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization. They are also at risk for developing psychological disorders such as burnout syndrome, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, which can contribute to adverse patient outcomes and adverse personal and professional functioning for the individual nurse. This chapter is an introduction to the concepts associated with stresses in the acute care environment and the prevalence of symptoms in the nursing population. This chapter will also dive deeper into the concepts of burnout syndrome and PTSD within nursing. Burnout syndrome in nursing has evolved over the years and is used to describe both stress and distress in the workplace. The definition of burnout syndrome, specific triggers in the workplace, and various methods of diagnosing and measuring burnout syndrome in nurses will be discussed in detail. In addition, PTSD as a DSM-V diagnosis as well as a theoretical perspective of PTSD in the nursing profession will be discussed.
