Traumatic Work Events and Negative Affect Among Maternity Nurses in Public Hospitals in Garissa Township, Kenya: A Mixed Methods Study

Garissa Township is characterized by a lack of resources, a high level of maternal morbidity and mortality, occupational stresses from insecurity and social-cultural factors that make the workplace a source of occupational trauma. Maternity nurses in Garissa County are constantly exposed to obstetric emergencies, cases of maternal death and high-risk deliveries. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between traumatic work events and negative affect among maternity nurses in public hospitals in Garissa Township. It was guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used, targeting 110 maternity nurses and 3 maternity unit managers from 3 purposively selected public hospitals. Census sampling was used for nurses, while purposive sampling was used to select managers for key informant interviews. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires, while qualitative data were obtained through interviews. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27, with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and regression analyses used to examine relationships among study variables. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed thematically. Results revealed that traumatic work events had a positive and statistically significant negative affect (β = 0.161, t = 3.3, p < 0.05). The study concludes that obstetric emergencies, maternal deaths, stillbirths, verbal abuse and resource constraints cause emotional exhaustion, frustration, sadness and occasional sleep disturbances. The county government of Garissa should increase staffing levels, improve the availability of essential maternity supplies, and strengthen emergency referral systems to reduce the stress of managing obstetric emergencies under constrained resources. Additionally, hospital management should institutionalize structured psychosocial support systems to promote maternity nurses’ well-being.

Counseling psychology

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