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Reach Out Peer support following an adverse event is critical to retain a healthy staff BY ROBERT KURTZ


W


hen adverse events occur, health care professionals naturally focus their attention on the well-being of affected patients and their families, says Lynn Reede, senior director of professional practice for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists in Park Ridge, Illinois. Sometimes, how- ever, the well-being of another group of people is overlooked, she says. “You stop and take care of the patient and family after an adverse event, but then who takes care of the providers involved in the event?” Reede says. “They are called second victims, and it is critical that they also receive support.” Staff members involved in an


adverse event respond in different ways, says Jan Allison, RN, director of accreditation and survey readiness for Deerfield, Illinois-based surgical solu- tions provider Surgical Care Affiliates. “Some staff members can more


easily put the experience behind them and continue working normally,” she says. “Others struggle to move on and face moments of stress and anxiety and feelings of incompetence or guilt. Those who cannot completely move on may leave their profession altogether.” The distress that comes from an


adverse event can affect a staff mem- ber’s professional performance, physi- cal health and ability to interact with other people, Allison says. “If they continue to work while they are emo- tionally dealing with that event, they can be more fatigued and have greater difficulty focusing. These are risks to patient safety.”


Reede notes that staff members


involved in an adverse event are often sent immediately back to work. “That may not be the best thing to do,” she says. “When possible, it may be best to


30 ASC FOCUS MAY 2015


Peer support can help serve to guide reactions, restore integrity and give someone the ability to move on.”


— Jan Allison, RN Surgical Care Affiliates


as important is peer support, Allison says. “Peer support can help serve to guide reactions, restore integrity and give someone the ability to move on.” Reede says peer support should center around feelings. “Staff should not try to act like psychologists. It is more about how staff members are feeling and doing. To help normalize the situation, it can help to share words of encouragement, such as saying, ‘You are a great professional. I would ask you to take care of my family.’ It is also important for second victims to hear that an adverse event is not a reflection of their practice.”


It also can be helpful for second victims to hear from other staff mem- bers who have been involved in an adverse event and how they were able to cope, Allison says. Peer support surrounding the


remove them from patient care respon- sibility, complete their case documen- tation, debrief and take time for emo- tional support to begin recovery.” Organizations


should have


adverse event should continue past the day of the incident, Reede says. “For as long as it seems necessary, you want to follow up with affected staff members. They need to under- stand


the importance of exploring the


means to arrange professional support services to assist in the recovery pro- cess, Allison says. Some organizations have an employee assistance program staff can access. Hospitals often offer occupational therapy, counseling and pastoral services. County and state health departments might provide or arrange similar services. While the availability of profes- sional support is critical, perhaps just


how the event has impacted them and that everything is probably not going to get better in just a day. It is going to take some time for recovery.” This also holds true if a staff member needs to take time off of work, Allison says. “Contact should be maintained, their progress in dealing with the experience should be monitored and guidance and support should be provided upon their return to normal duty. Whether people can successfully return to work without lingering effects can be contingent upon receiving strong support.”


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