The Second Victim Phenomenon: How Are Midwives Affected?

Abstract

Perinatal care providers are likely to encounter adverse events such as intrapartum emergencies, traumatic births, or maternal or fetal deaths. As a result of being directly or indirectly involved in an adverse event, health care providers can be considered second victims. The experience of the second victim phenomenon can lead to significant physical, psychological, and psychosocial sequelae that can negatively impact the provider's personal and professional life for either a short or long duration of time. When health care providers experience an adverse event, they may manifest symptoms of guilt, shame, blame, flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, isolation, helplessness, and hopelessness, thereby becoming the second victim. Following an adverse event, health care providers who experience second victim phenomenon experience stages of recovery that influence subsequent professional and personal well‐being. Persons who experience the second victim phenomenon can incorporate self‐care behaviors to assist with recovery. Health care organizations have a responsibility to implement efficacious support programs that promote the provider's recovery and a return to safe and full function in the workplace.

Second victim support structures in anaesthesia: a cross-sectional survey in Belgian anaesthesiologists

“…Fourth, the response rate of 30.6% is in line with previous research and extrapolation of the results should be done with care (24)(25)(26). It is possible that by selective response of interested anaesthesiologist random sampling error occurred.…”

“…The nationwide response correlated to the total amount of Belgian anaesthesiologists and residents in anaesthesia was 13.8% (456:3294) (27). The external validity of this study is relatively high due to a high response rate 30.6% compared to previous research and a high nationwide response of 13.8% (24)(25)(26).…”

Second victim experiences of nurses in obstetrics and gynaecology: A Second Victim Experience and Support Tool Survey

“…In the United States, approximately 700 women and more than 1 million foetuses and infants die or are seriously injured from pregnancy or delivery complications annually (Centers for Disease Control, 2019; MacDorman & Gregory, 2015). While previous studies have focused on the impact of adverse events among HCPs in various specialties (Edrees et al., 2011; Gazoni et al., 2012; Mok et al., 2019; Scott et al., 2009; Ullstrom et al, 2014), or among obstetricians or Certified Nurse Midwives (Austin et al., 2014; McDaniel & Morris, 2020; Schrøder et al., 2016; Wahlberg et al., 2017), no studies have focused on second victim experiences (SVEs) among nurses in OBGYN. The second victim experience may result from intrapartum emergencies, traumatic births, labour and delivery or surgical complications, events which limit a patient's reproductive capacity, and maternal, foetal or infant death.…”

Interventions to reduce post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in health care professionals from 2011 to 2021: a scoping review

“…Due to occupational specialty, healthcare professionals have more opportunities for indirect or direct exposure to trauma by providing care to patients, and it has the potential to induce the symptomatic responses of PTSD 10 11. PTSD symptoms have been reported by a variety of healthcare professional groups, including physicians,12 13 nurses14 15 and midwives 16 17. The respective prevalence of PTSD in ambulance personnel, emergency physicians and midwives were 11%, 22% and 36%, respectively 18–20…”