BACKGROUND: Patient safety adverse events (PSEs) cause harm and suffer to patients and their families (first victim). However, the involved health care providers (HCPs) can also become victims (second victim-SV). The prevalence of SV phenomenon varies from 10.4% to 43.3%.

OBJECTIVES: Measurement the prevalence of PSE exposure and risk factors, symptoms and support perception among exposed.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study, conducted at Rabin Medical Center, Israel. The data were collected by using a validated self-reporting questionnaire, based on a convenience sampling of HCPs.

RESULTS: A total of 870 HCPs responded, 630 (70%) of them reported to be involved in PSEs. There was no difference in the prevalence of PSEs by profession / education of the HCPs. The participants without any academic education and those with a BA degree perceive less substantial responses whereas physicians assessed the most severe response to PSEs (3.8, 4.02, 4.08 p <.05, respectively).

Those who reported to be involved in PSEs tended to agree that the involvement in PSEs might cause  negative responses, including feelings of guilt, anger, anxiety, shame, tiredness and sleeping difficulties. At the same time, the respondents agreed that these HCPs need an organizational support.

Participants who were involved or knew colleagues who were involved in PSEs (n = 630) assessed the risk of developing negative responses after the event higher than those who were not involved in PSEs or were not familiar with these cases (n = 151) (3.98 vs. 3.56, p <.001). These subjects also had higher need for support (4.91 vs. 4.69, p <.05). In addition, it was agreed that the existing support is insufficient, and that the hospital should invest more in supporting these HCPs.

CONCLUSIONS: SV phenomenon is widespread among all HCPs, which require centrally organized support to promote a positive safety environment.