Factors Influencing Nurses' Experiences and Support as Second Victims Following Adverse Events: A Scoping Review

To analyse nurses' current status and influencing factors as second victims, experiencing and receiving support, to provide a scientific basis for future intervention research on nurses as second victims.

A scoping review.

A scoping review was conducted using the framework by Arksey and O'Malley, systematically retrieving Chinese and English papers published up to March 27, 2024, from databases including CNKI, Wan Fang, VIP, China Biology Medicine Database, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and Scopus. The search spanned from the inception of the databases to the specified date. Data were extracted and synthesized, presented in tabular form.

Twenty-three studies were eventually included. After experiencing adverse events, nurses as second victims face significant distress, with varying perceptions of support. Different influencing factors, including sociodemographic, work, psychological and event-related factors, were categorized and summarized, affecting the experience and support of nurses as second victims.

Nurses who experience adverse events exhibit high levels of second-victim distress and low perceived organizational support. Their experiences and support as second victims are influenced by sociodemographic, work-related, psychological and adverse event factors. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies, multicultural and gender-diverse designs, mixed-methods research on high-risk groups, and exploring interactions among influencing factors to improve support for second victims and enhance nursing quality and patient safety.

Nursing managers develop individualized support programmes for different influencing factors as well as the characteristics and needs of nurses' second victims and build a supportive nursing culture to mitigate the negative impact of adverse events on nurses, improve the quality of care and ensure patient safety.

No patient or public contribution.