Nurse-Led PTSD Treatment in Primary Care

NCT07430657 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 25120501
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Purpose of the Study Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and serious condition, but many people cannot get the help they need because there are not enough mental health specialists (like psychologists or psychiatrists) available. This study is testing a new program called NurseNET. The goal of NurseNET is to train nurses to provide a proven, short-term trauma treatment called Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). Why This Study is Important Most people see their nurse or doctor for health concerns. Because nurses are highly trusted and already work on the front lines of healthcare, they may be in the best position to offer PTSD treatment quickly and conveniently. This study aims to see if nurse-led care can bridge the gap between patients and the treatment they deserve. What the Study Involves Researchers will enroll 100 participants who have symptoms of PTSD. Participants will work with a trained nurse in a primary care setting to complete the NurseNET program. The Treatment: The program consists of 4 to 6 sessions. During these sessions, the nurse helps the patient talk through their life story and process difficult memories in a safe, supportive way. What We Are Measuring: The research team will look at several factors to see if the program is successful: Effectiveness: Do PTSD symptoms improve after working with the nurse? Feasibility and Acceptability: Do patients and nurses find this type of care easy to use and helpful? Health Impact: Since PTSD is linked to heart health, the study will also look at whether the treatment improves things like blood pressure or physical activity levels. Goal of the Research By the end of this study, researchers hope to show that nurses can safely and effectively provide trauma care. If successful, this model could be used across the United States to make PTSD treatment much easier to access for everyone.

Conditions

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD

Keywords

post traumatic stress disorder; primary care; nurse

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

  20-item self-report scale that assesses the 20 DSM-5 PTSD symptoms; used to monitor symptom change/screen for probable PTSD diagnosis.

  Baseline, 3, 6, 12 months

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

  Baseline, 3, 6, 12 months

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7)

  Baseline, 3, 6, 12 months

• Somatic Symptoms Scale (SSS-8)

  Baseline, 3, 6, 12 months

• Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5)

  Baseline, 3, 6, 12 months

• Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Conditions (PROMIS)

  Baseline, 3, 6, 12 months

Study Arms (2)

NurseNET

EXPERIMENTAL

The NurseNET experimental arm involves training primary care nurses to deliver a condensed, 4 session version of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) to patients with PTSD symptoms. This task sharing approach integrates evidence-based trauma treatment directly into the primary care workflow to increase service access and improve select health outcomes.

Behavioral: NurseNET

Minimally-Enhanced Usual Care

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The minimally-enhanced usual care arm consists of provision of psychoeducational materials regarding trauma symptoms and available community resources, followed by referral to PTSD treatment. This arm serves as a rigorous control to account for the effects of time and general medical attention while identifying the specific clinical impact of the nurse-led Narrative Exposure Therapy intervention.

Behavioral: Referral to PTSD Treatment

Interventions

NurseNET BEHAVIORAL

NurseNET is a pragmatic clinical intervention designed to deliver evidence-based PTSD treatment within primary care workflows. It is distinguished from traditional Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and other primary care behavioral health interventions by the following four core elements: Nurse-Led Task Sharing. Unlike traditional models that rely on licensed mental health specialists (psychologists or social workers), NurseNET is delivered entirely by nurses. This leverages the existing nursing workforce to bypass specialist shortages and reduce the "referral cliff" associated with external mental health consultations. Dose-Compressed Protocol. While standard NET often extends to 10 or more sessions, NurseNET utilizes a condensed 4-session format. This "minimum therapeutic dose" is specifically engineered for the high-throughput U.S. healthcare environment. We use a safety-net supervision framework and leverage the holistic nurse preparation in the context of co-located/integrated care

NurseNET

Referral to PTSD Treatment BEHAVIORAL

Standard referral to PTSD treatment.

Minimally-Enhanced Usual Care

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• o PTSD + trauma exposure (PCL-5 score ≥28, plus trauma endorsed on LEC-5/CAPS)
• Life-threatening CV event in the last 90 days (including myocardial infarction/heart attack, acute cerebrovascular accident/stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, acute decompensated heart failure, or life-threatening arrhythmia requiring cardioversion or defibrillation).
• Primary care patient at Rush University Medical Center

You may not qualify if:

• o Safety risk (documented suicidal ideation/need for acute psychiatric care)
• NET conflict (actively receiving psychotherapy/PTSD treatment)
• Cognitive/decisional non-capacity (University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent \[UBACC\] ≤ 14.5)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rush University Medical Center: lead

Study Sites (2)

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States

RECRUITING

Rush University Medical Center

Brookfield, Wisconsin, 53045, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (2)

• Dickins KA. Improving Traumatic Stress with Justice-Impacted Women and Women Experiencing Homelessness: A Pilot Study of Narrative Exposure Therapy. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2024 Feb;45(2):121-141. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2023.2238091. Epub 2023 Aug 24.

  PMID: 37616593 BACKGROUND

• Dickins KA, Houlihan MC, Neely S, Smith DL, Nowell H, Karnik N, Held P. Improving post-traumatic stress symptoms in homeless-experienced women using narrative exposure therapy: a single-arm, open pilot study. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2026 Dec;17(1):2620215. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2026.2620215. Epub 2026 Feb 6.

  PMID: 41645787 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Combat Disorders; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 18, 2026
• First Posted: February 24, 2026
• Study Start: March 30, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2029
• Last Updated: April 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)