Posttraumatic Growth and Second Victim Distress Resulting From Medical Mishaps Among Physicians and Nurses

Medical mishaps are well-known sources of distress. However, some mishaps may give medical professionals an opportunity to experience personal growth. We examined the associations between medical mishaps, second victim distress, and posttraumatic growth. A total of 157 physicians and 139 nurses completed a survey that included questions about mishaps, Second Victim Experience and Support Tool and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Overall, 82.8% of the physicians and 48.9% of the nurses experienced at least one mishap. Lack of training, rumination, and impact of mishaps were associated with distress among nurses, whereas rumination, impact, and stressfulness were associated with distress among physicians. On the other hand, the impact of mishaps is the only factor that was associated with posttraumatic growth among nurses, whereas none with physicians. This study suggests that the posttraumatic growth from medical mishaps is not associated with the theory-driven event-related factors, and highlights the importance of further investigation.