An investigation of the relationship between the second victim phenomenon and occupational burnout in healthcare

Abstract

Adverse events are unexpected events or outcomes in healthcare that create considerable harm or lasting damage to a patient (Mira et al., 2015). Providers who have been affected by such events are referred to as “second victims.” This study investigated the relationship between healthcare provider involvement in adverse events and occupational burnout. Based on a convenience sample of 127 healthcare providers, results showed that second victims reported significantly higher rates of burnout than did unaffected healthcare providers. Among the 96 self-identified second victims, results revealed a significant positive correlation between personal distress and burnout and a significant negative correlation between organizational support and burnout. Qualitative results indicated that participants would like to see support from peers as well as system and process improvements to help them cope with adverse events. Results of the current study suggest that healthcare organizations should prioritize support mechanisms for second victims to potentially mitigate undesirable employee and organizational outcomes related to adverse patient events.

Keywords: burnout; second victim; organizational support; adverse events; patient safety