4016.1-25: Supporting Nurses to be Resilient and Navigate Secondary Traumatic Stress in an Inpatient Psychiatric Setting

Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) is a known health risk for nurses in PMH nursing. The creation of “Universal Precautions”, or systemic safeguards aimed at the promotion of resilience and support, is imperative. Interventions such as focus groups, peer-led clinical supervision, tip sheets, and toolkits have been found to support nurses navigating STS.

Presenter:  Stacy Horowitz, MSN, RN, PMH-BC, CARN

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length:  15 minutes

Target Audience:  RN, APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Identify three interventions in my practice to anticipate and protect myself from secondary traumatic stress.

Key Takeaway(s): 

• Active leadership support is essential for implementing and sustaining change.
• Openly addressing barriers, such as fear of asking for help, improves adoption and cultural shift.
• Team-based approaches and recognition programs build confidence, safety, and connection among staff.

Keywords:  Secondary Traumatic Stress, STS, Resilience

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
0.25 contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to the entire presentation, complete the reflection activity, evaluation, and honor statement before the expiration date. Once all steps are successfully completed, a certificate will be generated online and available for you to print immediately. Contact hours cannot be awarded unless all required components are completed. 

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Release Date:  December 9, 2025
Access to this course will end:  December 1, 2028

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