Adverse events (AEs) are common in medicine, with estimates that as many as 1 in 9 hospitalized patients are harmed by the healthcare they receive.

Healthcare workers are regularly exposed to loss, injury, traumatic stimuli, and undesirable patient outcomes. It has long been recognized that clinical work carries an emotional burden. Critical incident stress debriefing has long been provided for professionals exposed to traumatic and high-stress events and may be a useful strategy for those who experience AEs.Most organizations do not provide any support for staff in relation to involvement in adverse events.The quality and safety of patient care can be compromised when health professionals experience these negative effects.Health professionals can suffer negative professional and personal effects after involvement in patient safety-related adverse events (AEs).We explore the potential value of providing CISD for health professionals involved in patient safety-related AEs and discuss the instances in which this could be routinely implemented. CISD is considered an effective strategy to promote resilience and recovery. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) has long been provided for professionals, such as disaster workers, who are exposed to traumatic and high-stress events. Despite the frequency with which AEs occur, organizational mechanisms for supporting staff in these circumstances are not routinely embedded in healthcare settings. AEs can be traumatic not only for patients, their friends, and relatives, but also for the involved clinicians, who have been referred to as “second victims” in a growing body of international research. Although preventable harm can be minimized, when AEs occur it is important that they be managed appropriately. Adverse events (AEs) are common, estimated to occur in around 10% internationally.

Critical incident debriefing steps