Rassin Michal
Assaf Harofe Medical Center, Israel
Title: The secondary victim - Coping of nurses with medication error: Comparison of decades (2005-2018)
Biography
Biography: Rassin Michal
Abstract
Medication errors may be a critical event for the patients and caregivers involved. The performance of an erring worker might be detrimental in the private and organizational life. This situation is known as the "secondary victim". The aim of our research was to examine the influence of the medication errors, on the mental and functional state of the erring caregiver and to compare the findings of the study held in 2005 to those in 2018. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 erring nurses. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The research findings show that severe emotional consequences commenced immediately after the incident and continued for several days. They were expressed by fear, anxiety, self-blame, shame etc. The participants' reactions were grouped as: "Taking responsibility", "Why did this happen to me" "Dilemma - whether to tell the patient and his family" "Fear of punishment". The ongoing emotional distress that characterized some of the participants was similar to PTSD. The main differences between the findings of the study after more than a decade were the perception of the organization as investigative rather than blameful, which enabled better functioning. In light of these findings, it is recommended that workplaces should offer a support mechanism for the secondary victim, regardless of the risk management investigation procedures. Awareness to this issue should be encouraged and initiatives to support secondary victims should be promoted so that staff members are informed on the issue and the available resources to support them.