Emergency room (ER) nurses care for patients and family members during some of the worst times in their lives: motor vehicle accidents, myocardial infarctions, cerebral vascular accidents, violence, rape, trauma, and death. Although nurses are not directly experiencing the traumatic event(s) themselves, the continuous exposure puts them at risk for secondary traumatic stress (STS). STS is defined as the physical, psychological, and/or emotional reaction by an individual who had a secondary exposure to trauma, and is typically seen in those who care for trauma patients in the hospital [1], [2], [3], [4]. Symptoms of STS are similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): nightmares, avoidance of people/places that remind the individual of the trauma, hypervigilance, paranoia, and intrusive thoughts [4]. Nurses who experience high levels of STS demonstrate an increased level of anxiety and depression [5], [6] as well as an intention to leave their position in the hospital or leave the profession completely [6].

The prevalence of STS in ER nurses has been examined thoroughly in the literature. However, the relationship between STS and certain demographic variables, such as hospital trauma level, shift worked, and employment status, have not been researched. In addition, the relationship between reported STS and coping strategies has not been examined in the literature, nor has the relationship between perceived stress and reported stress levels. These gaps in the literature strengthen the need for this study. The purpose of this study was to: (1) examine the prevalence of STS in ER nurses, and (2) examine the relationships between demographic variables and reporting coping strategies with reported STS level.