Second victim
Patient Safety
Definition. A second victim is a health care professional who is emotionally harmed after being involved in an unanticipated adverse patient event or error.
Explanation
The term was popularised by Wu to describe the guilt, anxiety and loss of confidence that clinicians experience after errors (Wu, 2000). An evidence- and consensus-based definition was later proposed to standardise research and support programmes (Vanhaecht et al., 2022).
Peer support, just culture and open disclosure policies help staff recover and remain in practice.
Related concepts
Just culture Burnout Medical error Psychological safety
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References
Vanhaecht, K., Seys, D., Russotto, S., Strametz, R., Mira, J., Sigurgeirsdottir, S., Wu, A. W., Polluste, K., Popovici, D. G., Sfetcu, R., Kurt, S., & Panella, M. (2022). An evidence and consensus-based definition of second victim: A strategic topic in healthcare quality, patient safety, person-centeredness and human resource management. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (24), 16869. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416869
Wu, A. W. (2000). Medical error: The second victim. BMJ, 320(7237), 726–727. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7237.726
Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Second victim. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/second-victim/