Stressing the System: Pediatric Trauma Centers May Be Unready to Implement Comprehensive Acute Stress Screening Programs for Pediatric Trauma Patients.

Publisher: Nursecom Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9512997 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1078-7496 (Print) Linking ISSN: 10787496 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Trauma Nurs Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Philadelphia, PA : Nursecom, c1994-

Trauma Centers* ; Mass Screening*/methods; Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Wounds and Injuries/diagnosis ; United States ; Adolescent ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Child, Preschool ; Stress, Psychological/diagnosis ; Trauma Nursing

Background: Children experiencing trauma are at risk of developing acute and chronic stress disorders. In 2022, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma required verified pediatric trauma centers to screen at-risk patients and provide mental health provider referrals as needed.
Objective: The study objective is to assess the current readiness of pediatric trauma centers to meet the new American College of Surgeons requirements.
Methods: This study used an exploratory, electronic, cross-sectional survey design. The Pediatric Trauma Society distributed a survey on mental health screening practices to its members in February 2023. Results were summarized with descriptive statistics. Chi-square test was used to compare responses of Levels I and II pediatric trauma centers.
Results: There were 91 survey responses from the PTS membership of 1247 (response rate of 7.3%). Fifty-nine participants were from Level I and 27 from Level II pediatric trauma centers. 63.8% of Level I and 51.9% of Level II center respondents currently screened for acute stress (χ2(1) = 1.09, p = .30). Of these, 75.7% of Level I and 57.1% of Level II center respondents routinely screened all admitted trauma patients (χ2(1) = 1.68, p = .19). However, only 32.4% of Level I and 21.4% of Level II respondents reported having outpatient acute stress referral protocols. For pediatric trauma centers currently without screening, 65% of Level I and 46.2% of Level II pediatric trauma center respondents felt they needed more than six months to establish a program (χ2(1) = 1.15, p = .28). Most respondents (68.9%) reported staff shortages as a barrier to the delivery of acute stress services.
Conclusions: Pediatric trauma center compliance with acute stress screening requirements for verification is variable. Pediatric trauma centers may benefit from technical assistance with acute stress screening.
Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
(Copyright © 2024 Society of Trauma Nurses.)

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Date Created: 20240909 Date Completed: 20240909 Latest Revision: 20240909

20240910

10.1097/JTN.0000000000000811

39250555