Surgical residents as “second victims” following exposure to medical errors in a tertiary health training facility in Nigeria: a phenomenology study

INTRODUCTION: The “second victim” phenomenon refers to the distress and other negative consequences that physicians experience when they commit medical error. There has been increasing awareness about this phenomenon and efforts are being made to address it. However, there is dearth of information about it in developing countries. This study explored the experiences of surgical resident doctors of the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria about the “second victim” phenomenon and the support they had following medical errors. METHODS: This is a phenomenology study in which qualitative data were obtained from interviews with 31 resident doctors across 10 surgical units/departments. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were coded inductively. Data were analyzed using content analysis method. Themes and subthemes were generated using axial coding. The themes were then integrated using selective coding. RESULTS: There were 31 participants and 10(32.3%) were females. All had witnessed other physicians encountering medical errors while 28(90.3%) had been directly involved in medical errors. Most of the errors were at the inter-operative stage. Prolonged work hours with inadequate sleep were identified as major causes of most medical errors. The feelings following medical errors were all negative and was described as ‘stressful’. Most of the residents got support from their colleagues, mostly contemporaries following medical errors, and many viewed medical errors as a learning point to improve their practice. However, there was a general belief that the systemic support following medical errors was inadequate. CONCLUSION: The “second victim” phenomenon was common among the study group with consequent negative effects. Normalizing discussions about medical errors, reduction of work hours and meticulous intraoperative guidance may reduce medical errors and its consequences on the surgical residents. Steps should be taken within the system to address this issue effectively.