Volume 24
Number 9
May 3, 2013
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
EMOTIONAL
FIRST AID
A trauma nurse faces the tragic loss of a young patient close to his own son’s age. A transporter must bring an infant who died in the Neo-ICU down to the morgue. A pharmacist hears that his patient had an anaphylactic reaction to a medication. He discovers the medication allergy was documented but not acknowledged during the patient’s admission. A housekeeper learns that a long-time patient she has grown close to has coded and is now in an intensive care unit.
`` Offering emotional support to a staff member after an adverse event (enacted above by Kirsten Smith, MSN, clinical nurse specialist and Angelo DeFeo, BSN, of Dulles 6) is a key component of HUP’s Caring for the Care Provider program.
It’s a stigma in the medical profession; you don’t get upset, but how can a provider help someone else when he or she is suffering emotionally?
INSIDE The Impact of Health-Care Changes on Penn Medicine.....2 Annual Total Compensation Statements: Now Online!.........3 Helping People All the Time.....3 Free Trees for Penn and UPHS Staff & Faculty................4
What do all these hospital employees have in common? They are ‘second victims’ of a tragic patient outcome. For years, many have suffered in silence, trying to retain the expected stoic facade. But, now, at HUP, a new program will pro-actively provide immediate ‘emotional’ first aid to those who need it.
Lingering Feelings of Inadequacy Studies show that health-care providers often have strong feelings of guilt or inadequacy following an unanticipated bad outcome or medical mistake. “They feel responsible and may see it as a personal failure,” said Jill Huzinec, RPh, director of Patient Safety, who’s leading the initiative. A recent survey of HUP employees mirror these results. Nearly one-third reported experiencing personal problems after an event. Even more concerning: 30 percent seriously contemplated leaving their profession as a result of the event. “It’s a stigma in the medical profession; you don’t get upset ,” she said. “You just go on to care for the next patient. But how can a provider help someone else when he or she is suffering emotionally?” While most staff are resilient and will recover after a traumatic event, “this program is essential for those adversely affected by it.” Huzinec said the new program — Care for the Care Provider — will be available to any employee who might be emotionally traumatized by an event: all disciplines, all departments, all shifts. And it will be available 24/7. “No one should have to wait till Monday to talk about their emotional distress related to an event that happened on Saturday night.” The program will also support those who have experienced violence in the workplace, such as employees who have been attacked by patients or family members. “They’re all victims.” (Continued on page 4)
Survey Says...............................4
1