Moving on after critical incidents in health care: A qualitative study of the perspectives and experiences of second victims

Abstract

Aims: To gain a deeper understanding of nurses and midwives' experiences following involvement in a critical incident in a non-critical care area and to explore how they have 'moved-on' from the event. Design: An interpretive descriptive design guided inductive inquiry to interpret the meaning of moving-on. Methods: Purposive sampling recruited 10 nurses and midwives. Data collection comprised semi-structured interviews, memos and field notes. Data were concurrently collected and analysed during 2016–2017 with NVivo 11. The thematic analysis enabled a coherent analytical framework evolving emerging themes and transformation of the data into credible interpretive description findings, adhering to the COREQ reporting guidelines. Results: The findings revealed five main themes: Initial emotional and physical response, the aftermath, long-lasting repercussions, workplace support and moving-on. Conclusion: This study shed light on the perceptions of nurses and midwives who lived through the impact of critical incidents. Through their lens, the strategies engaged in to move-on were identified and their call for organizational and collegial support received a voice.