Experiences and responses of nursing students as second victims of patient safety incidents in a clinical setting: A mixed-methods study

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the degree of second victim syndrome among nursing students in clinical practice and determine the rehabilitation process.

Background: Empirical evidence suggests that health care providers who are considered second victims suffer from various difficulties. Nursing students in a clinical setting could be potential second victims, but few studies have quantitatively investigated the experiences and explored their response processes.

Methods: A mixed-methods design was used. A questionnaire was sent to nursing students via a link to an electronic survey, and a semi-structured interview was conducted to explore their response process as second victims.

Results: The quantitative results showed that nursing students in the clinical setting suffered second victim-related distress and that the most significant influences were psychological distress and professional efficacy. Four stages of rehabilitation experiences emerged from the qualitative data.

Conclusion: Being a second victim for nursing students in a clinical setting is psychological suffering, and although they can be expected to recover, an impact on professional efficacy is inevitable.

Implications for nursing management: Nursing managers must be aware that nursing students in a clinical setting might experience difficult situations after patient safety incidents and that developing appropriate programmes to support at-risk students is important.

Keywords: nursing students; patient safety incidents; second victims.