Abstract
Healthcare workers exposed to adverse events can suffer emotional and physical consequences, often referred to as "second-victim" or "identified individual" After an adverse event occurs, there may be immediate, midterm, and delayed harm to the caregivers involved, including: increased depression, anxiety about future errors, loss of confidence, sleeping difficulties, reduced job satisfaction, and harm to their reputation. In our health system, the Emergency Department (ED) is subject to the highest number of staff assaults, workplace violence and critical events. With this knowledge, an interdisciplinary team was created to address the issues. The objective was to implement a peer support team that is available 24/7 to provide crisis support interventions to employees after situations that are emotionally challenging and stressful and to offer additional resources and follow up. The goals are to increase institutional awareness of second-victim phenomenon, provide consistent, confidential and targeted support to employees after distressing situations and provide resources for leadership and management teams.
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Lead Author Affiliation
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Expert Opinion (nationally/internationally recognized)
Research Approach
Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice
Keywords:
Healthcare Worker Safety, Assaults Against Nurses, Emergency Department Safety
Recommended Citation
Gold, Kerry A.; Connor, Melissa; and Trueblood, Ashley, "How to be a first responder for colleagues after adverse events: Instituting a peer support program in the emergency department" (2020). General Submissions: Presenations (Oral and Poster). 91.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/gen_sub_presentations/2020/posters/91
Conference Name
Emergency Nursing 2020
Conference Host
Emergency Nurses Association
Conference Location
Virtual Event
Conference Year
2020
Rights Holder
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Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
How to be a first responder for colleagues after adverse events: Instituting a peer support program in the emergency department
Virtual Event
Healthcare workers exposed to adverse events can suffer emotional and physical consequences, often referred to as "second-victim" or "identified individual" After an adverse event occurs, there may be immediate, midterm, and delayed harm to the caregivers involved, including: increased depression, anxiety about future errors, loss of confidence, sleeping difficulties, reduced job satisfaction, and harm to their reputation. In our health system, the Emergency Department (ED) is subject to the highest number of staff assaults, workplace violence and critical events. With this knowledge, an interdisciplinary team was created to address the issues. The objective was to implement a peer support team that is available 24/7 to provide crisis support interventions to employees after situations that are emotionally challenging and stressful and to offer additional resources and follow up. The goals are to increase institutional awareness of second-victim phenomenon, provide consistent, confidential and targeted support to employees after distressing situations and provide resources for leadership and management teams.