Effects of Nurse’s Second Victim Experiences on Third Victim Experiences: Multiple Mediation Effects of Second Victim Supports

Abstract

Purpose Nurse’s second victim experiences could influence organizational negative work-related outcome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the casual relationship between nurses’ second victim experience and third victim experience and multiple mediation effects of second victim supports. Methods A cross-sectional, self-report survey (the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool) was conducted with 305 nurses working in a general hospital. Data were collected from October 20 to November 25, 2016 and analyzed using SPSS Win version 23.0. Results The nurses' perceived second victim experience was 3.24±0.61 and the third victim experience was 3.12±0.92. Nurses’ second victim experience was found to have a direct effect on increasing third victim experience and indirect effect of colleague support as mediator (p<.05). However, institutional support and supervisor support had not a partial and indirect effect on third victim experience. Conclusion This study is one of the first to connect second victim experience to third victim experience in South Korea. This study broadens the understanding of the negative effects of a second victim experience influence third victim experience. When involvement in patient safety events, the important role of colleague support in limiting nurse’s third victim experience have been acknowledged. This study reinforces the efforts health care leaders are making to develop interventional programs to colleague support their staff as they recover from adverse event involvement. Key words: Adverse event ㆍ Second victim ㆍ Third victim ㆍ Colleague support