Falls Suffered by Hospitalized Adult Patients: Support to the Nursing Team as the Second Victim

Abstract

Objective: To describe the support received by the second victim in falls suffered by hospitalized adult patients from the nursing team’s perspective. Materials and Methods: This is an exploratory and descriptive study with a qualitative approach, conducted in a large general hospital in the southern region of Brazil. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 21 nursing professionals (seven nurses and fourteen nursing technicians) selected by random sampling, who worked in the inpatient units where falls occurred with a level of harm ranging from moderate to severe during March and May of 2020. The data were submitted to content analysis from July to August of the same year. Results: On the one hand, from the nursing team’s perspective, support for the second victim was considered incipient by the hospital institution. On the other, participants highlighted the support received by their families and peers in the work environment. The study followed the guidelines of the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Conclusions: An institutional flow of support for the second victim needs to be formalized to mitigate the repercussions on staff.