Why second victims need our support - Many healthcare providers involved in adverse events have intense emotional responses

摘要

Second victims are healthcare providers who are involved in unanticipated adverse patient events, such as clinical errors, or who have been traumatised by things that hav happened at work. Many of us have been involved in adverse incidents in which a patient has been harmed and, given the ever-rising pressure on our crowded departments, the risk of such adverse incidents is increasing. Such incidents range from patients falling off trollies or the development of pressure sores to the administration of the wrong medication or even death.