Table 1

Second victim interview guide

Participant demographics (can be determined before interview)

  1. Sex

  1. Professional degree (attending physician, resident physician, registered nurse, department manager, physician assistant, medical student, respiratory therapist, physical therapist, scrub technician, social worker)

  1. Years of experience

Event details

  1. Think about a clinical event from your past that impacted you both professionally and/or personally. Please share what you remember as specifically as possible from the moment that it was discovered that something was wrong. How did you respond to this event? How did it impact you?

Interviewer: If not forthcoming by this participant’s recollection, and as appropriate, determine:

  1. How long ago did this event occur

  1. Type of event (medical error versus unexpected medical outcome)

  1. Describe your specific role in the event

  1. The patient outcome (no harm, temporary harm, permanent harm, death)

  1. Event occurrence at this facility versus other facility

Professional and personal impact from this experience

  1. Thank you for sharing the event details with me. Now I would like to focus on what needs you experienced immediately after this event both personally and professionally.

  1. What needs were addressed?

  1. How were these needs addressed?

  1. What needs did you have that were not addressed?

  1. What would you recommend for having these needs addressed?

Participant experiences with, or normal reactions to, stress

  1. When you are concerned or stressed about something happening at work, how do you typically manage those types of situations?

  1. Who do you typically turn to when you need advice or reassurance or support about a work-related issue?

  1. In your professional training, how did you learn to respond to adverse patient events on a professional and/or personal basis?

  1. Where do you believe is the best place or approach for faculty and staff to learn about how to handle adverse events?

Support structures

  1. Based on your experience, what would you do differently if you were supporting a peer or colleague going through the same thing you went through?

  1. How would you describe the environment at University of Missouri Health System in terms of being supportive/helpful versus non-supportive/not helpful after an event that has an emotional impact on a team member?

  1. What is your advice to us as we plan design for a “perfect world” where the best support/guidance possible is provided when a team member(s) is emotionally impacted following an unexpected outcome or adverse event?

  1. What else would you like to share about your experience?

  1. Please review this list of symptoms that some staff have reported. If you experienced any of these, please tell me how that symptom impacted you both personally and professionally.

  1. Are there any symptoms not on this list that you think should be included on this list?

  1. Are there any additional comments you would like to make regarding your experience?