Table 2.
Providers knowledge regarding injury-related posttraumatic stress
| Knowledge items | Correct responses n (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All providers n=147 |
Nurses n=95 |
Physicians n=25 |
Therapists n=27 |
|
| Prevalence, risk factors, and course | ||||
| 1. Almost everyone who is seriously injured or ill has at least one traumatic stress reaction in the immediate aftermath of the event. | 138 (93.8) | 88 (92.6) | 24 (96) | 26 (96.3) |
| 2. It is inevitable that most individuals who experience a life-threatening illness or injury will go on to develop significant posttraumatic stress or PTSD. (Disagree) | 96 (65.3) | 60 (63.2) | 22 (88) | 14 (51.8) |
| 3. Individuals who are more severely injured or ill generally have more serious traumatic stress reactions than those who are less severely injured or ill. (Disagree) | 75 (51) | 52 (54.7) | 8 (32) | 15 (55.6) |
| 4. Individuals who, at some point during the traumatic event, believe that they might die are at greater risk for posttraumatic stress reactions. | 123 (82.3) | 77 (81.1) | 24 (96) | 22 (81.5) |
| 5. Many individuals cope well on their own after experiencing serious illness or injury. | 49 (33.4) | 33 (34.8) | 11 (44) | 5 (18.5) |
| Signs and symptoms | ||||
| 6. The psychological effects of an injury or illness often last longer than the physical symptoms. | 142 (96.6) | 93 (96.9) | 23 (96) | 26 (97.3) |
| 7. Individuals with significant posttraumatic stress reactions usually show obvious signs of distress. (Disagree) | 101 (68.7) | 67 (70.6) | 19 (76) | 15 (55.6) |
| 8. I know the common signs and symptoms of traumatic stress in ill or injured patients. | 93 (63.3) | 66 (69.5) | 11 (44) | 16 (59.2) |
| 9. Some early traumatic stress reactions in patients can be part of a healthy emotional recovery process. | 143 (97.3) | 91 (95.8) | 25 (100) | 27 (100) |
| Effectiveness of screening and intervention | ||||
| 10. There are things that providers can do to help prevent longer-term posttraumatic stress in ill and injured patients. | 144 (97.9) | 92 (96.9) | 25 (100) | 27 (100) |
| 11. There are effective screening measures for assessing traumatic stress that providers can use in practice. | 111 (75.5) | 70 (73.7) | 20 (80) | 21 (77.8) |
Note. For items 2, 3, and 7 “disagree/strongly disagree” represents a correct response.