Competencies of nurses in managing patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Mahoro, Annelyse; Rugamba, Moise (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025092625272
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025092625272
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis was to describe the essential competencies nurses require to effectively manage patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in healthcare settings. The aim of this thesis is to develop new information that improves PTSD patient quality care in healthcare throughout the world and in Finland.
This study was conducted as a descriptive literature review. Data were collected by systematically searching five academic databases: PubMed, CINAHL, MEDIC, Google Scholar, and SeAMK Finna. The search strategy utilized keywords and Boolean operators related to nurses, PTSD, competence, and trauma-informed care. From an initial pool of 527 articles, 12 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 were selected for in-depth analysis based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data from these studies were synthesized using inductive content analysis.
The results showed that effective PTSD care hinges on five core competency categories: clinical knowledge and skills for assessment and intervention, advanced communication and empathy, ethical and cultural competence, proficient interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to ongoing professional development. However, a significant finding was the prevalent gap in PTSD-specific training and organizational support for nurses, particularly in non-specialist settings.
This study concludes that a multifaceted approach is necessary to equip nurses for the complex demands of PTSD care. This includes integrating robust, trauma-informed competencies into nursing curricula, implementing standardized protocols for screening and intervention, and fostering supportive work environments that prevent burnout. Enhancing these competencies is crucial for improving patient outcomes and supporting nurse well-being. The origin of this thesis has been checked by the Turnitin program, resulting in an acceptable similarity percentage.
This study was conducted as a descriptive literature review. Data were collected by systematically searching five academic databases: PubMed, CINAHL, MEDIC, Google Scholar, and SeAMK Finna. The search strategy utilized keywords and Boolean operators related to nurses, PTSD, competence, and trauma-informed care. From an initial pool of 527 articles, 12 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 were selected for in-depth analysis based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data from these studies were synthesized using inductive content analysis.
The results showed that effective PTSD care hinges on five core competency categories: clinical knowledge and skills for assessment and intervention, advanced communication and empathy, ethical and cultural competence, proficient interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to ongoing professional development. However, a significant finding was the prevalent gap in PTSD-specific training and organizational support for nurses, particularly in non-specialist settings.
This study concludes that a multifaceted approach is necessary to equip nurses for the complex demands of PTSD care. This includes integrating robust, trauma-informed competencies into nursing curricula, implementing standardized protocols for screening and intervention, and fostering supportive work environments that prevent burnout. Enhancing these competencies is crucial for improving patient outcomes and supporting nurse well-being. The origin of this thesis has been checked by the Turnitin program, resulting in an acceptable similarity percentage.