Trauma Informed Educational Practices: An Educational Innovation for Graduate Nursing Students

ABSTRACT

[...]the most recognized definition, as espoused by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration fSAMHSA. 2014). is the response of an individual to an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is perceived as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening. Examples of circumstances that are potentially traumatic include emotional, physical, or sexual abuse;sudden separation from a loved one;childhood neglect;family members with a mental health condition;poverty;and discrimination (Center for Health Care Strategies. 2017). Findings of the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Study indicated that exposure to trauma increases the likelihood of health-risk behaviors as well as a person's lifetime risk for chronic health conditions such as autoimmune disorders, depression, heart disease, liver disease, lung disease, obesity, sexually transmitted diseases, and substance use disorders. (2022) assert that there is a significant need to incorporate traumainformed practices within graduate nursing curriculum to address mental health concerns that graduate nursing students struggle with during their programs of study.