Secondary Trauma in Patient Care: Recognizing the Impact and Building Resilience

How healthcare professionals can recognize secondary trauma and build sustainable emotional resilience through somatic practices.

1, April 2025 Sharon G.E. Washington Ed.D., MPH

Healthcare providers show up daily to care for others—but rarely have time to process what it costs them. In high-stakes environments, witnessing suffering becomes routine, yet the emotional weight is anything but. This blog explores how secondary trauma shows up in the body, how it impacts performance and well-being, and what practices can support sustainable resilience and healing.

1. What is Secondary Trauma in Healthcare?

2. Signs of Secondary Trauma

3. The Physiological Toll of Caregiving

4. Somatic Practices to Restore Balance

5. The Importance of Ongoing Resilience Work

6. Free Resource: Somatic Practice Audio Guide

What is Secondary Trauma in Healthcare?

In Patient Care Caring for others—particularly in emotionally charged, high-stakes environments—can be as draining as it is meaningful. For healthcare professionals, this repeated exposure to trauma, loss, and emotional distress doesn’t just fade away at the end of a shift. It accumulates.

Secondary Trauma, also known as vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue, occurs when healthcare workers absorb the emotional intensity of their patients’ experiences. It’s a natural and human response—but left unaddressed, it can erode emotional well-being, diminish patient care, and accelerate burnout.

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) profoundly affects healthcare professionals, manifesting in both psychological and physiological symptoms. Understanding these manifestations is crucial for early recognition and intervention.​PMC

Signs of Secondary Traumatic Stress

Healthcare workers experiencing STS may exhibit the following symptoms:​socialwork.asu.edu

• Emotional Numbness: Feeling detached from patients and colleagues.​GoodRx

• Hypervigilance: Constantly alert, with difficulty "shutting off" after work.​

• Avoidance: Evading emotionally intense situations or discussions.​

• Physical Symptoms: Chronic headaches, muscle tension, digestive issues, or insomnia.​

• Intrusive Thoughts: Replaying distressing patient cases or encounters.​

• Increased Irritability or Compassion Fatigue: Diminished empathy and heightened frustration.​

If unaddressed, these symptoms can escalate to anxiety, depression, or burnout, adversely affecting both personal well-being and patient care. ​

Physiological Impact of Secondary Traumatic Stress

STS not only affects mental health but also has tangible physiological consequences:​

• Chronic Activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System: Leads to increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and heightened stress responses.​

• Elevated Cortisol Levels: Prolonged stress hormone release contributing to fatigue, weakened immunity, and cardiovascular strain.​

• Dysregulated Breathing Patterns: Manifesting as breath-holding or rapid, shallow breathing, reinforcing tension.​

• Somatic Memory Storage: Physical manifestations like muscle tightness, jaw clenching, or digestive distress.​

Recognizing these physiological signs is vital for implementing effective interventions to restore balance and resilience. ​

Visual Representation of Physiological Impacts

Below is a bar graph illustrating the prevalence of various physiological symptoms among healthcare professionals experiencing secondary traumatic stress:

Understanding how Secondary Trauma in Patient Care shows up physically allows us to address it more effectively, build impact —and reclaim regulation from within.

Somatic Practices to Restore Balance

Body-based tools can be powerful supports for releasing stress and supporting emotional capacity. Here are four practices that healthcare professionals can integrate into their day impact.

1. Shake It Off – 2 Minutes

Gently shake the arms, shoulders, legs—allowing tension to discharge through the limbs. It’s your body’s natural reset button.

2. Vagus Nerve Humming – 1 Minute

Hum on the exhale after a deep breath. This stimulates the vagus nerve and helps shift the body out of a fight-or-flight state.

3. Containment Hug – 1 Minute

Cross your arms over your chest and apply gentle pressure to the shoulders. Breathe slowly. This activates deep touch receptors and reinforces a sense of calm.

4. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

Bring attention to:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 you can touch

• 3 you can hear

• 2 you can smell

• 1 you can taste

This sensory practice draws attention into the present moment—away from mental rumination.

The Importance of Ongoing Resilience Work

Secondary trauma doesn’t make you weak—it makes you human. But without routine practices for restoration, it can become a barrier to longevity in the field. By regularly engaging in somatic strategies, healthcare workers can reconnect with their emotional capacity, sustain empathy, and protect their well-being.

Free Resource: Somatic Practice Audio Guide

🎧 Try it now — Listen to a guided audio practice designed to help healthcare professionals release tension, regulate their nervous system, and build resilience.

Click to Access the Free Download »

And if you're ready to go deeper...

💡 Explore the Full Course: Somatic Awareness & Stress Resilience — a self-paced learning experience built for healthcare workers navigating high-stress roles.