Abstract
Background: Second victims are nurses involved in a perceived traumatic patient-related event.1 Exposure to these events, especially throughout a career, can lead to psychological, emotional, or physical distress, known as second-victim syndrome.2, 3 Studies have shown that the most effective management of distress for second victims is through immediate emotional support from a peer.4 Therefore, reflective nurse leaders understand the need to develop organizational support systems to promote resilience and mitigate symptoms of second victim syndrome.5, 6
Objective: The objective was to reduce second victims' perceived distress levels by 10% within three months of deploying a second victim support program. The program was piloted in a 20-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), as working in an intensive care unit is a known risk factor for developing second victim syndrome due to the vulnerable patient population it serves.6
Methods: An IRB-approved mixed methods study was developed by an interprofessional team of nurses, social workers, physicians, and the employee assistance program coordinator. The Scott Three-Tiered Model was the framework used to develop a peer support program and train volunteers to provide emotional support to second victims after a patient-related traumatic event.
Results: Thirteen participants completed pre- and post-intervention self-assessments. Findings showed a statistically significant reduction in distress levels after meeting with a second-victim peer supporter (t(12) = -16.401, p < .05).
Conclusions: The project highlights the value of peer support programs as an effective strategy for reducing distress among healthcare professionals. Regardless of their formal roles, nurse leaders are ideally positioned to advocate for and provide emotional support to foster resilience among nurses who suffer from second-victim syndrome.
Limitations: Limitations of the study include the limited sample size, which may restrict the generalizability of the results.
Nursing Implications: This project offers a framework for nursing leaders interested in promoting a support system for resilience among nurses who may suffer from second-victim syndrome.
Notes
References:
1. Sachs, C., & Wheaton, N. (2023). Second victim syndrome. StatPearls. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572094/
2. The Joint Commission (2018). Supporting second victims. Quick Safety, 39,1-3. https://jointcommission.org.
3. Agency for Research & Quality. (2017) Care for the caregiver program
Implementation guide. AHRQ.
4. Wertherman, J., Brown, A., Cole, I., Sells, J., Dharmasukrit, C., Rovinski-Wagner, C. & Tassedd, T. (2021). Second victim phenomenon and nursing support” An integrative review. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 40(2), 139-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2020.12.014
5. The Joint Commission. (2019). Developing resilience to combat nurse burnout. Quick Safety, 50, 1-4/ https://jointcommission.org.
6. Wu, A.W., Shapiro, J., Harrison, R., Scott, S., Connors, C., Kenney, L. & Vanhaecht, K. (2020). The impact of adverse events on clinician: What’s in a name? Journal of Patient Safety,16(5), 1-8. http://www.journalpatientsafety.com
Sigma Membership
Zeta Gamma
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Interprofessional, Interdisciplinary, Stress and Coping, Academic-clinical Partnership, Resilience, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, PICU, Second Victims, Pediatric Nurses
Recommended Citation
Davis, Amy E. and Copeland-Streeter, Donna J., "Promoting Resilience of Nurses in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 108.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/108
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Promoting Resilience of Nurses in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Seattle, Washington, USA
Background: Second victims are nurses involved in a perceived traumatic patient-related event.1 Exposure to these events, especially throughout a career, can lead to psychological, emotional, or physical distress, known as second-victim syndrome.2, 3 Studies have shown that the most effective management of distress for second victims is through immediate emotional support from a peer.4 Therefore, reflective nurse leaders understand the need to develop organizational support systems to promote resilience and mitigate symptoms of second victim syndrome.5, 6
Objective: The objective was to reduce second victims' perceived distress levels by 10% within three months of deploying a second victim support program. The program was piloted in a 20-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), as working in an intensive care unit is a known risk factor for developing second victim syndrome due to the vulnerable patient population it serves.6
Methods: An IRB-approved mixed methods study was developed by an interprofessional team of nurses, social workers, physicians, and the employee assistance program coordinator. The Scott Three-Tiered Model was the framework used to develop a peer support program and train volunteers to provide emotional support to second victims after a patient-related traumatic event.
Results: Thirteen participants completed pre- and post-intervention self-assessments. Findings showed a statistically significant reduction in distress levels after meeting with a second-victim peer supporter (t(12) = -16.401, p < .05).
Conclusions: The project highlights the value of peer support programs as an effective strategy for reducing distress among healthcare professionals. Regardless of their formal roles, nurse leaders are ideally positioned to advocate for and provide emotional support to foster resilience among nurses who suffer from second-victim syndrome.
Limitations: Limitations of the study include the limited sample size, which may restrict the generalizability of the results.
Nursing Implications: This project offers a framework for nursing leaders interested in promoting a support system for resilience among nurses who may suffer from second-victim syndrome.
Description
Participants can expect to gain insight into second-victim syndrome, discuss methods for developing a second-victim peer support program, and the role of nurse leaders in providing support systems that build resilience among nurses.