Emergency Nurses as Second Victims of Error: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Quality
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Nurses frequently encounter errors within hospital settings.
• Understanding the impact of these errors on nurses' professional lives is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify causes of errors affecting nurses in emergency departments.
• To explore the consequences of confronting errors in the workplace.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative approach utilizing content analysis.
• Purposive sampling of 18 emergency nurses.
• In-depth, semi-structured interviews for data collection until saturation.

Main Results:

• Errors evoke psychological reactions, learning opportunities, and avoidance behaviors in nurses.
• Errors have both positive and negative effects on nurses' attitudes.
• Learning from errors can enhance patient safety, while negative outcomes harm nurses' careers.

Conclusions:

• Nurses are often victims of errors and require support.
• Addressing the psychological and career impacts of errors is essential.
• Fostering a learning environment from errors can improve patient safety and support nursing professionals.