Traumatic and Routine Stressors Experienced by Emergency Nurses (TRSS-ED)

February 5, 2026 updated by: Volkan Gokmen, Agri Ibrahim Cecen University

Acil Servis Hemşirelerin Deneyimledikleri Travma ve Rutin Stresörlerin İncelenmesi

Emergency nurses are frequently exposed to both traumatic events and routine work-related stressors due to the nature of emergency care settings. These experiences may have important emotional and psychological effects, which can influence nurses' well-being, job satisfaction, and quality of patient care.

The aim of this study is to examine the frequency and emotional impact of traumatic and routine stressors experienced by emergency department nurses during the past six months. The study focuses on identifying common stressors and understanding how often these events occur and how strongly they affect nurses emotionally.

This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among emergency nurses working in public hospitals in Turkey. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that includes demographic questions and the Traumatic and Routine Stressors Scale (TRSS-TR), a validated instrument designed specifically for emergency nurses.

The findings of this study are expected to contribute to a better understanding of occupational stress among emergency nurses and to support the development of strategies aimed at protecting nurses' mental health and improving working conditions in emergency care environments.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Emergency departments are high-intensity clinical environments where nurses are regularly exposed to traumatic events such as sudden death, severe injuries, violence, and resuscitation efforts, as well as routine stressors including high workload, time pressure, communication challenges with patients' relatives, and limitations in providing optimal care. While traumatic events are often sudden and emotionally intense, routine stressors may appear less severe but can accumulate over time and lead to significant psychological burden.

This study was designed as an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional investigation to systematically examine both traumatic and routine stressors experienced by emergency department nurses and to evaluate the emotional impact of these experiences. The study was conducted in multiple public hospitals located in different regions of Turkey, reflecting the multi-center nature of emergency nursing practice.

The study population consisted of registered nurses working in emergency departments. Eligibility criteria included having at least six months of experience in an emergency department and voluntary agreement to participate in the study. Nurses who met these criteria were invited to complete an anonymous, self-administered online questionnaire.

Data collection took place between September 1, 2025, and December 1, 2025. The questionnaire included two main components: a demographic information form and the Traumatic and Routine Stressors Scale - Turkish Version (TRSS-TR). The TRSS-TR is a validated and reliable instrument adapted for use among Turkish emergency nurses. The scale assesses both the frequency of exposure to specific traumatic and routine stressors during the past six months and the perceived emotional impact of each stressor. Responses are rated on Likert-type scales, allowing for quantitative analysis of stressor exposure and emotional burden.

All data were collected anonymously using a secure online survey platform. Participation was entirely voluntary, and informed consent was obtained electronically from all participants prior to data collection. No identifying personal information was collected.

Data analysis was performed using statistical software. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic characteristics and scale scores. Depending on data distribution, appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests were applied to examine relationships between stressor frequency, emotional impact, and selected demographic or occupational variables. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

This study does not involve any intervention, experimental treatment, drug, or medical device. There are no anticipated physical or clinical risks to participants. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Agri Ibrahim Cecen University. The results are expected to provide evidence-based insights into occupational stress among emergency nurses and to inform future initiatives aimed at improving mental health support, workplace resilience, and organizational policies in emergency care settings.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

200

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Bostancı
      • Istanbul, Bostancı, Turkey (Türkiye), 34149
        • Dr. Murat Dilmener Training and Research Hospital
    • Dogubeyazit
      • Ağrı, Dogubeyazit, Turkey (Türkiye), 04400
        • Dogubayazit State Hospital
    • Merkez
      • Ağrı, Merkez, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Ağrı Training and Research Hospital
    • Taksim
      • Istanbul, Taksim, Turkey (Türkiye), 34437
        • Taksim Training and Research Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of registered nurses working in emergency departments of public hospitals in Turkey. Participants are adult nurses with at least six months of emergency department experience who voluntarily agreed to participate in this observational, cross-sectional study.

Description

  • Inclusion Criteria;
  • Registered nurses working in emergency departments
  • At least 6 months of experience working in an emergency department
  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Willingness to participate voluntarily in the study
  • Ability to complete an online self-administered questionnaire
  • Exclusion Criteria ;
  • Less than 6 months of experience working in an emergency department
  • Refusal or inability to provide informed consent
  • Incomplete questionnaire responses

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Emergency Nurses
Registered nurses working in emergency departments who participated in this observational, cross-sectional study.
Other: No Intervention (Observational Study)
This study is observational and does not involve any intervention. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires only.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Frequency and Emotional Impact Scores of Traumatic and Routine Stressors
Time Frame: One-time assessment covering stressor exposure and emotional impact over the previous 6 months

The primary outcome is the frequency and emotional impact of traumatic and routine stressors experienced by emergency department nurses, measured using the Traumatic and Routine Stressors Scale - Turkish Version (TRSS-TR).

The frequency subscale assesses how often each stressor was experienced during the past six months using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 ("less than three times in six months") to 7 ("daily"). The emotional impact subscale evaluates the perceived emotional impact of each stressor using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 ("no emotional impact") to 7 ("maximum emotional impact").

Outcome measures are reported as continuous scale scores for frequency and emotional impact, with higher scores indicating greater exposure frequency and higher perceived emotional impact.
One-time assessment covering stressor exposure and emotional impact over the previous 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Agri Ibrahim Cecen University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

December 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 5, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 5, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • AICU-TRSS-ED-2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared. The study involves anonymous self-reported questionnaire data collected from healthcare professionals and includes sensitive occupational and psychological information. Data sharing was not included in the original ethics committee approval, and therefore individual-level data will be used only for the purposes of this study and related scientific publications.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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