Prevalence of the second victim phenomenon among intensive care unit nurses and the support provided by their...

Health professionals can be 'second victims' of adverse patient events. Second victimhood involves a series of physical and psychological signs and symptoms of varying severity and is most prevalent among nurses and women and in intensive care units (ICUs). Previous research has described personal and organizational coping strategies.

The objective of this research is to determine the prevalence of second victimhood, focusing on psychological distress, among Chilean adult intensive care nurses and its relationship with the support provided by their organizations.

A descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted in seven intensive care units of Chilean hospitals.

Of a sample of 326 nurses, 90.18% reported having been involved in an adverse event and 67% reported psychological distress resulting from the adverse event. Embarrassment was the most prevalent psychological symptom (69%). Only 2.8% reported that their organization had an action plan for professionals in the event of a serious adverse event. Participants who had spent longer working in an ICU reported more support from their organization around adverse events.

Two-thirds of Chilean adult intensive care unit nurses report psychological stress following an adverse event. These results should be assessed internationally because second victims have major implications for the well-being of health professionals and, therefore, for retention and the quality of care.

Critical care leaders must actively promote a safe environment for learning from adverse events, and hospitals must establish a culture of quality that includes support programmes for second victims.