Exploring the experience of nurse practitioners who have committed medical errors

Reminiscing about the experience of living through an error, NPs shared meaningful insights into their need for a safe environment in which they could candidly share feelings, reflect on the experience, and ascertain the etiology of the mistake. Debriefing in a formal manner might prevent the development of permanent psychological injuries. Hence, inherent to the care of "second victims" is the notion of co-workers' fairness, compassion, and recognition of appropriate caring responses that contribute to effective coping and healing.