Journal Club Template for Qualitative Research Article

Article Citation in APA Format:

Kleis, A. E. (2020). Recalling Stress and Trauma in the Workplace: A
Qualitative Study of Pediatric Nurses. Pediatric Nursing, 46(1), 5–10.

Purpose of Study:
The purpose of this study was to begin to discover more about the events
and stressors pediatric nurses experience that may lead to the
development of secondary traumatic stress. Secondary traumatic stress
has been defined as “intrusion, avoidance and arousal symptoms resulting
from indirect exposure to traumatic events using a professional helping
relationship with a person or persons having directly experienced the
events.”

Research Design: This study is a qualitative analysis of “open-

Identify the research ended” responses from a cross-sectional
design. Discuss whether survey of pediatric nurses.
it is appropriate for the The participants complete a survey measuring
topic under investigation. secondary traumatic stress, coping measures,
Is it appropriate? How do anxiety, and job satisfaction.
you know?
Sample Selection: How A random sample of Certified Pediatric
was the sample Nurses (CPNs) certified by the Pediatric
selected? What type of Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) was
sample was used. Was contacted via email with an invitation to
the sample size participate. There were sent 6,000 emails and
adequate given the from those 350 responses were received. The
scope of the study? How sample size was small for the nursing
do you know? pediatric population in the US.
Data Collection There were sent 6,000 and from them 350
Methods: Describe the responses were received. Quantitative data
data collection revealed the majority of respondents suffered
procedures. Where there from moderate, high, or severe secondary
any issues noted during traumatic stress (n = 170,50.3%) as a result of
data collection that may their work.
have impacted the study This article examines the traumatic or
outcomes? Is there stressful experiences of these nurses by
another approach that investigating the qualitative responses of
could have been used to participants from the original survey using
collect data? If so which content analysis. In total, 72 nurses
approach? If not why responded to the open-ended question, “Is
not? there anything else you would like to add?”
Content analysis was used to explore the
experiences of pediatric nurses related to
secondary traumatic stress. Content analysis
uses specific steps to determine themes, as
well as basic quantitative methods such as
frequencies to summarize characteristics
within previously collected written qualitative
data.
Data Collection 350 surveys were done and 326 completed all
Measures/Tools: What measures. Twenty-two percent of
specific method(s) were respondents elected to leave a written
used to collect the data? comment at the end of the survey. Comments
Is this appropriate for this ranged from two words to over 400 words; the
type of study? How do majority wrote several sentences about
you know? traumatic or stressful work
experiences. It was used the Secondary
Traumatic Stress scale which is designed to
ha open ended responses.

Plans for Data

Analysis: What specific Data analysis and result extraction were
methods were used to completed manually. After a process of
evaluate the data? Were decontextualization the responses were read
these methods over by 2 researchers to obtain general feel of
appropriate? How do you the data. Then meaning units were coded to
know? each response.
The words cope, stress, fear, traumatic, and
guilt, along with rewarding, love, and comfort
were found in many responses.
Responses were then categorized by
homogeneous words and ideas, and were
grouped by composing themes. Manifest
analysis was used, staying close to the words
of participants. Compiling the data, six themes
emerged; two researchers reviewed the
responses separately and reached
consensus, demonstrating triangulation of the
themes and increasing validity.

Strengths: What are the Qualitative studies in the literature related to

strengths of the stress in pediatric nursing are limited. This
research? Note at least study helps to open the discussion for this
two and give a rationale topic.
for each. The study shows that work-related stress in
pediatric nursing is linked to multiple events
as pressure
to perform despite emotion, feeling
unsupported, inability to separate traumatic
experiences from personal life, consumption
by traumatic experiences, and using positivity
to cope and this information can be useful for
management when looking for strategies to
help nurse overcome these situations.
Finally, the fact of naming the multiple triggers
for stress in pediatric nursing population could
make them recognize easily the symptoms of
secondary traumatic stress and reinforce the
practice of positive self-care to avoid adverse
 effects on mental health and job
dissatisfaction.
Weaknesses: What are More information could have been gathered
the main weaknesses of through interviews with nurses to determine
the study. Note two and more about the events and stressors that
provide a rationale for pediatric nurses experience at work that may
each. lead to the development of secondary
traumatic stress.

Previous experiences of the nurse, such as

parenthood, feelings, lack of institutional
support, or inadequate preparation to deliver
difficult patient information, where not taken in
consideration when evaluating the surveys of
the participant population.

Even though the responses where read and

analyzed for multiple researchers when
talking about personal experiences is hard to
not be bias or relate the own experiences to
the ones of the participants in the study.

References
Kleis, A. E. (2020). Recalling Stress and Trauma in the Workplace: A
Qualitative Study of Pediatric Nurses. Pediatric Nursing, 46(1), 5–10.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and
assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Purpose of Study: This study aimed to discover more about the events

and stressors pediatric nurses experience that may lead to secondary
traumatic stress. Secondary traumatic stress has been defined as
"intrusion, avoidance and arousal symptoms resulting from indirect
exposure to traumatic events using a professional helping relationship with
a person or persons having directly experienced the events."

1. Research Design: This study is a qualitative analysis of "open-ended"

responses from a cross-sectional survey of pediatric nurses. The
participants complete a survey measuring secondary traumatic stress,
coping measures, anxiety, and job satisfaction.

2. Sample Selection: A random sample of Certified Pediatric Nurses

(CPNs) certified by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) was
contacted via email with an invitation to participate. There were sent 6,000
emails, and from those, 350 responses were received. The sample size
was small for the pediatric nursing population in the US.

3. Data Collection Methods: There were sent 6,000, and from them, 350
responses were received. Quantitative data revealed that most
respondents suffered from moderate, high, or severe secondary traumatic
stress (n = 170,50.3%) due to their work. 
This article examines these nurses' traumatic or stressful experiences by
investigating participants' qualitative responses from the original survey
using content analysis. In total, 72 nurses responded to the open-ended
question, "Is there anything else you would like to add?" Content analysis
was used to explore the experiences of pediatric nurses related to
secondary traumatic stress. Content analysis uses specific steps to
determine themes and basic quantitative methods such as frequencies to
summarize characteristics within previously collected written qualitative
data.

4. Data Collection Measures/Tools: 350 surveys were done, and 326

completed all measures. Twenty-two percent of respondents elected to
leave a written comment at the end of the survey. Comments ranged from
two words to over 400 words; most of the comments had sentences about
traumatic or stressful work experiences. It was used the Secondary
Traumatic Stress Scale, characterized by having open-ended responses. 
5. Plans for Data Analysis: Data analysis and result extraction were
completed manually. After a decontextualization process, two researchers
read the responses to obtain a general feel of the data. Then meaning units
were coded to each response. 
The words cope, stress, fear, traumatic, and guilt, along with rewarding,
love, and comfort, were found in many responses.
Responses were then categorized by homogeneous words and ideas and
were grouped by composing themes. Manifest analysis was used, staying
close to the words of participants. When the researchers compiled the data,
six themes emerged. Two researchers reviewed the responses separately
and reached a consensus, demonstrating triangulation of the themes and
increasing validity. In this case, triangulation involved multiple researchers'
interpretations working together as a team trying to reveal the complexity of
the studied phenomena (Polit & Beck, 2017).

6. Strengths: Qualitative studies in the literature related to stress in

pediatric nursing are limited. This study helps to open the discussion for
this topic. 
The study shows that work-related stress in pediatric nursing is linked to
multiple events as pressure to perform despite emotion, feeling
unsupported, inability to separate traumatic experiences from personal life,
consumption by traumatic experiences, and using positivity to cope and this
information can be useful for management when looking for strategies to
help nurse overcome these situations. 
Finally, naming the multiple triggers for stress in the pediatric nursing
population could easily recognize the symptoms of secondary traumatic
stress and reinforce the practice of positive self-care to avoid adverse
effects on mental health and job dissatisfaction.

7. Weaknesses: More information could have been gathered through

interviews with nurses to determine more about the events and stressors
that pediatric nurses experience at work that may lead to secondary
traumatic stress.
The nurse's previous experiences, such as parenthood, feelings, lack of
institutional support, or inadequate preparation to deliver difficult patient
information, were not considered when evaluating the participant
population's surveys. This situation could generate bias in the participant's
answers. 
Even though the responses were read and analyzed for multiple
researchers when discussing personal experiences, it is hard not to be
biased or relate the study participants' experiences.

References
Kleis, A. E. (2020). Recalling Stress and Trauma in the Workplace: A
Qualitative Study of Pediatric Nurses. Pediatric Nursing, 46(1), 5–10.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and
assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.