Post-traumatic stress disorder, professional resilience,and perceived organizational support in emergency department nurses:a cross-sectional study

Background Emergency department nurses are frequently exposed to high-intensity, traumatic events, placing them at increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to explore the correlation between PTSD career resilience and perceived organizational support among emergency department nurses in tertiary hospitals. Methods A total of 213 emergency department nurses from tertiary comprehensive hospitals in Wuxi and Suzhou were selected using convenience sampling. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a general information questionnaire, a PTSD self-rating scale, a career resilience scale, and a perceived organizational support scale. Results A total of 224 questionnaires were distributed, and 213 were returned, resulting in a response rate of 95.1%. The average PTSD score of the 213 emergency department nurses was 46.67 ± 7.27, with 29.11% of the nurses having PTSD. PTSD among emergency department nurses was negatively correlated with career resilience and perceived organizational support ( P  < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that confidence, self-dependence, emotional support, and instrumental support may predict PTSD in nurses in the emergency department. Conclusions The levels of PTSD, career resilience, and perceived organizational support among emergency department nurses require improvement. Measures should be taken to enhance nursing staff’s career resilience, strengthen organizational support, and help them positively cope with traumatic stress disorder to reduce the incidence of PTSD.