Nurses as 'second victims' to their patients' suicidal attempts: A mixed-method study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Healthcare professionals can experience psychological distress after adverse patient events, becoming 'second victims'.
• Second victim experiences are linked to increased absenteeism and staff turnover in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of patient suicide attempts on nurses' second victim symptoms.
• To explore the relationship between these experiences and nurse absenteeism and turnover.

Main Methods:

• A sequential exploratory mixed-methods study.
• Qualitative data from nurses on patient suicide attempts, analyzed using constant comparative analysis.
• Quantitative cross-sectional study of 150 nurses using the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool, with correlational and regression analyses for absenteeism and turnover.

Main Results:

• Qualitative analysis revealed three themes, including a 'sense of being alone'.
• Nurses reported a moderate level of second victim distress.
• Second victim distress and the 'sense of being alone' after patient suicide attempts predict nurse absenteeism and turnover, even after controlling for demographics.

Conclusions:

• Nurses experiencing patient suicide attempts exhibit second victim symptoms, contributing to absenteeism and turnover.
• These nurses require support as second victims, similar to other adverse events.
• Nursing leadership must provide emotional support to mitigate staff turnover and organizational issues.