Coping strategies in health care providers as second victims: A systematic review

Abstract

Aim: To analyze personal and organizational strategies described in the literature for dealing with the second victim phenomenon among healthcare providers. Background: The second victim phenomenon involves many associated signs and symptoms, which can be physical, psychological, emotional, or behavioral. Personal and organizational strategies have been developed to deal with this phenomenon. Materials and methods: A systematic review was carried out in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Science Direct, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases, searching for evidence published between 2010 and 2019 in Spanish, English, German, and Portuguese. Results: Seven hundred and eighty-three articles were identified. After eliminating duplicates, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and critical analysis tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute, 16 research articles were included: 10 quantitative studies (design: descriptive, correlational, systematic, or integrative review) and six qualitative studies (descriptive, systematic review). There are several different personal and organizational strategies for dealing with the second victim phenomenon. Among these, peer support and learning from adverse events are highly valued. In personal strategies stands out the internal analysis of the adverse event that the professional performs to deal with the generated negative feelings. In organizational strategies, the most valued are second victim support programs with rapid response teams and made up of peers. Conclusions: The main organizational coping strategies for tackling this phenomenon are online programs in countries such as the United States, Spain, and other European countries. Formal evaluation of these programs and research is required in Latin America.