Personal som varit inblandad i vårdskador lämnas utan hjälp. Önskvärt med systematiskt stöd från kolleger och chefer, visar intervjustudie
Sammanfattning
Staff members (mostly physicians and nurses) at Karolinska university hospital who had been involved in serious adverse events were invited to participate anonymously in an interview study based on a similar US study. Out of the 131 persons who received the invitation, 21 participated. The informants described having experienced emotional distress including sadness and anxiety which in some cases affected their health and work performance. There was no difference between men and women nor between physicians and nurses. All informants expressed that the support they had most needed was the possibility to systematically debrief the experience in communication and interaction with colleagues and supervisors. Only few had been given this opportunity and then in a very random fashion. Also, the way the event was investigated caused additional trauma. This and other studies have now highlighted the consequences for health care professionals of being involved in an adverse event, pointing to the need for employers to provide support in the way that other industries do to employees involved in work-related trauma.