Exploring Factors Influencing Posttraumatic Growth Among Nurses: A Path Analysis

Persistent exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic has subjected frontline nurses to heightened levels of collective traumatic syndromes, including stress, burnout, and emotional distress. Resilience and self-compassion may serve as protective factors in mitigating stress and burnout stemming from the pandemic. Moreover, these factors may contribute to posttraumatic growth (PTG), which has been recognized as a potential outcome for nurses caring for patients. This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to PTG among registered nurses, with perceived stress, burnout, resilience, and self-compassion.

This cross-sectional observational survey used convenience sampling with 228 registered nurses from New York. Data were collected online using self-reported measures of the following study variables: perceived stress, burnout (sub-dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment), resilience, self-compassion, and PTG. The data were analyzed using path analysis.

Resilience and self-compassion directly and positively affected PTG, while perceived stress and burnout indirectly affected PTG via resilience and self-compassion. Among three sub-dimensions of burnout, PTG was indirectly affected by emotional exhaustion via resilience, depersonalization via self-compassion, and personal accomplishment via resilience and self-compassion.

This study identifies resilience and self-compassion as key psychological resources that directly enhance nurses’ PTG, while perceived stress and burnout undermine it indirectly through these traits. Each burnout dimension had distinct mediating pathways: emotional exhaustion through resilience, depersonalization through self-compassion, and low personal accomplishment through both. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions that strengthen resilience and self-compassion while addressing specific burnout symptoms. Limitations include the cross-sectional, self-reported nature of the data and limited generalizability. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these pathways and inform intervention design.

The findings of this study suggest that resilience and self-compassion are essential in promoting PTG among nurses, helping them better cope with COVID-related stress and burnout. This study investigates the dynamic role of resilience alongside self-compassion, demonstrating how these factors interact with three distinct dimensions of burnout to influence PTG outcomes. Therefore, the study emphasizes the need for multifaceted interventions, such as mindfulness programs, resilience training, and self-compassion initiatives, to enhance nurses' resilience and self-compassion. These interventions effectively reduce stress and burnout while promoting PTG both during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.