Clinical nurses’ recovery experiences after adverse events in South Korea: A qualitative study

Abstract

<h2>ABSTRACT</h2><h3>Background</h3> Nurses who make professional errors that affect patients tend to experience physical and psychological distress that negatively affects their daily lives. Therefore, a deep understanding of the recovery process of nurses who have experienced adverse events is essential for exploring individual and organisational strategies to support their recovery. <h3>Aim</h3> The purpose of this study was to explore the recovery experiences of clinical nurses who had experienced an adverse event. <h3>Method</h3> This study used a qualitative approach. Nurses in South Korea with more than one year of clinical experience were recruited. Data were collected from January to August 2020, using purposive and snowball sampling. Eight nurses who had directly experienced an adverse event or who had witnessed an adverse event participated voluntarily. The main questions participants were asked to answer were "What was your experience with an adverse event?" and "How did you recover from the effects of the adverse event?" Qualitative data from field notes and transcriptions of interviews were analysed using the content analysis method devised by Graneheim and Lundman. To ensure the rigor of qualitative research, the four criteria (credibility, transferability, dependence, and confirmability) devised by Lincoln and Guba were used. <h3>Findings</h3> Three categories, eight subcategories, and 19 codes were identified based on 443 meaningful statements. The three categories that presented the most significant perspectives on clinical nurses' experiences of adverse events and their recovery were: "major issues related to adverse events experienced by nurses," "how did I recover from the impact of the adverse events?" and "things necessary for recovery." <h3>Discussion</h3> The findings indicated that adverse events in hospitals cause great harm to both patients and healthcare providers. Prevention of adverse events is vitally important, and strategies are needed to minimise damage when adverse events occur. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Systematic support should be provided at the organisational and institutional levels so that nurses who were involved in an adverse event can recover from its negative effects. Regular efforts should be carried out to cultivate a mature awareness and strong culture of patient safety in society at large.