Post-Traumatic Growth in Nursing Students Examining Resilience, Secondary Stress, Burnout, and Satisfaction in Clinical Practice

Background: Nursing students encounter stressful and emotionally charged situations in clinical training, which can lead to post-traumatic growth—a positive psychological change following adversity. However, factors influencing post-traumatic growth in clinical education remain underexplored. Purpose: To examine the associations between resilience, traumatic stress, burnout, and satisfaction with post-traumatic growth among nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 105 students. Results: Post-traumatic growth correlated positively with resilience (r = 0.54, P < .01) and satisfaction (r = 0.26, P < .01) and negatively with burnout (r = −0.35, P < .01). Additionally, resilience (β = 0.555, P < .001), traumatic stress (β = 0.250, P = .022), and burnout (β = −0.248, P = .031) were significantly associated with post-traumatic growth. Conclusion: Educators should prioritize interventions that reduce burnout, enhance resilience, and foster satisfaction. These strategies are vital to supporting nursing students’ psychological well-being and promoting their capacity for professional growth.