Date of Award
Spring 4-21-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Amy Newman
Second Advisor
Abir Bekhet
Third Advisor
Kristin Haglund
Fourth Advisor
Lee Za Ong
Abstract
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is integral to pediatric critical care (PCC) but accessible, scalable education is limited. This mixed-methods pilot study developed and evaluated Be Trauma Informed, a two-episode podcast educational series designed to increase PCC nurses’ TIC knowledge, attitudes, and trauma-informed practices while also assessing implementation outcomes of feasibility, necessity, acceptability, fidelity, safety, and beginning effectiveness. The curriculum for the podcast series was developed by the primary investigator with stakeholder input from PCC and TIC experts. The podcast was professionally produced, and episodes were distributed on major podcast platforms. Using purposive convenience sampling, PCC nurses within the United States completed pretest (N=137) and posttest (n=89) surveys (Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Related to Trauma-Informed Care Scale; Continuing Professional Development Reaction Questionnaire) and submitted reflective narratives. A volunteer subset (n=12) completed semi structured interviews to evaluate implementation outcomes. The findings of this study demonstrated significant improvements in composite Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) scores, with significant gains across each domain as well. CPDRQ scores exceeded the a priori threshold indicating intention to change practice with TIC interventions. Participants endorsed the intervention’s necessity, accessibility, acceptability, safety, and fidelity. Qualitative analysis of written narratives (n=87) demonstrated clear gains in knowledge as nurses recognized the prevalence and physiology of trauma and reinterpreted behaviors previously labeled as “difficult” as stress responses. These insights were accompanied by meaningful attitude shifts toward empathy, curiosity, and emotional attunement. Findings indicated that a brief, professionally produced podcast is a feasible, acceptable, and effective method for initiating TIC training among PCC nurses. Further research with larger, controlled trials is warranted to evaluate sustained behavior change and implementation at scale.