Toolkit Offers Assistance in Developing a Second Victim Support Program

A clinician support toolkit is available to help healthcare organizations identify specific issues that should be addressed during the development of an emotional support program for healthcare clinicians, reports a commentary published in the May 2012 Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. According to the commentary, despite growing evidence that adverse events related to medical errors can have dire emotional consequences on healthcare providers, most clinicians do not receive adequate emotional support. The clinician support toolkit was created to be used in any healthcare setting and should be employed in a way that is based on each healthcare organization’s specific culture and resources.