The current situation and influencing factors of vicarious traumatization among trauma nurses: A latent profile analysis

Aim Trauma nurses are susceptible to vicarious traumatization, which may substantially undermine their physical and mental well-being, as well as their capacity to provide high-quality care. This study employed latent profile analysis to examine the latent profiles of vicarious traumatization among trauma nurses and to identify the factors influencing these profiles. Methods The study employed a cross-sectional design. A convenience sampling method was used to select 930 trauma nurses from 22 provincial administrative regions in China, with data collection occurring from August 2024 to February 2025. Data were gathered using a general information questionnaire, the Vicarious Traumatization Questionnaire, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Stressor Scale for Emergency Nurses, and the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire. Latent profile analysis was applied to assess the characteristics of vicarious traumatization among trauma nurses, and the factors influencing these latent profiles were determined through univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression. Data analysis was conducted using Mplus version 8.3 and SPSS version 26.0. Results The study included a total of 930 trauma nurses, achieving an effective questionnaire response rate of 96.37%. The vicarious traumatization score among these nurses was 70.50 (interquartile range: 57.00, 80.25). Vicarious traumatization was categorized into three latent groups: low vicarious traumatization group (35.38%), medium vicarious traumatization group (52.37%), and high vicarious traumatization group (12.25%). Disordered multi-class logistic regression analysis identified several influencing factors for the latent profiles of vicarious traumatization, including female gender, stressors, work engagement, positive coping style, and negative coping style (all p  < 0.05). Conclusions The study identified substantial heterogeneity in the vicarious traumatization experienced by trauma nurses. Nursing managers are encouraged to use the identified profiles and influencing factors of vicarious traumatization to prioritize support for trauma nurses who are female, experience high levels of stressors, demonstrate low work engagement, utilize negative coping strategies, and lack psychological trauma training. It is recommended that hospital administrators implement targeted intervention strategies to mitigate the levels of vicarious traumatization among nursing staff. This study's findings illuminated the potential characteristics and influencing factors of vicarious traumatization among trauma nurses, providing a new perspective for the formulation of customized intervention strategies.