The Nurses' Second Victim Syndrome and Moral Distress

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Intensive care units (ICUs) present a high-stress environment contributing to moral distress in nurses.
• Moral distress is linked to nursing errors and patient safety risks.
• Second victim syndrome (SVS) in healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, is a significant factor in moral distress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between moral distress and second victim syndrome (SVS) among nurses in ICUs.
• To assess the prevalence of moral distress and SVS in an ICU nursing population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 96 ICU nurses from Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
• Data were collected using the Demographic Questionnaire, Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (SVEST), and Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R).
• Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and correlation tests (Spearman, t-test, ANOVA).

Main Results:

• A majority of nurses experienced moderate levels of moral distress (40.6%) and SVS (86.5%).
• No significant direct correlation was found between overall moral distress and SVS.
• A significant inverse correlation was observed between the intensity of moral distress and SVS (p = 0.011).

Conclusions:

• Both moral distress and SVS are prevalent at moderate levels among ICU nurses.
• Interventions should focus on creating supportive environments for expressing moral distress and managing SVS.
• Training, counseling, and empowerment programs are recommended to mitigate these issues in nursing practice.