Barriers and Facilitators to Coping with Second Victim Experiences: Insights from Nurses and Nurse Managers

Background. Second victim experiences have long-term impacts on the personal and professional well-being of nurses. Individual-centered support is necessary to help nurses cope with the various stages of the second victim experience. Objectives. To explore personal and workplace factors that facilitate or hinder coping styles for second victim experiences from the perspectives of both frontline nurses and nurse managers. Design. This was a descriptive qualitative study that incorporated semistructured interviews. Methods. Purposive sampling was employed to enlist a total of eight nurses and seven nurse managers selected from five tertiary hospitals located in Hunan Province, China. The study participants included nurses who had suffered second victim experiences and nurse managers who had grappled with their nurses’ second victim experiences. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results. The analysis revealed four main themes that influenced nurses’ ability to cope with second victim experiences: source of emotional trauma, personal factors, job stress, and support system. In contrast, emotional trauma from patients and relatives, negative personal traits, shadows from the second victim experience, and unsupportive workplace environments were obstacles to coping with second victim experiences. Conclusion. The study highlights facilitators and barriers that nurses cope with second victim experiences, providing insight to develop targeted interventions that support nurses and mitigate the negative impacts of second victim experiences. A comprehensive approach is more effective in supporting nurses in coping with second victim experiences, improving patient safety, and enhancing the quality of care.