Trying to Be "Perfect in an Imperfect World": Strategies for Healing Healthcare’s Second Victims

​Strategies for supporting "second victims," providers most directly involved in an adverse event, were highlighted in the January 22, 2018, issue of Quick Safety from the Joint Commission. When an adverse event occurs, providers may feel emotionally traumatized and have lasting effects that persist for as long as a year afterward, Joint Commission said. Nearly half of all healthcare providers could face a second-victim experience at least once during their careers, Joint Commission said. If untreated, being a second victim can harm the emotional and physical health of an individual and subsequently create a threat to patient safety. Second victims often suffer in silence, Joint Commission said. Hospital resources available to a provider who has had a second victim experience include the organization's clergy, psychiatric department, or an employee assistance program.