Healthcare is an incredibly rewarding profession, but it is also demanding, challenging, and constantly evolving. In environments where clinical decisions carry significant consequences, even the most skilled and conscientious providers may experience emotional distress when outcomes do not go as planned. This experience has come to be known as the “second victim phenomenon,” a term first coined by Dr. Albert Wu to describe the emotional impact on physicians involved in a patient’s adverse event, particularly following a medical error.
Over time, our understanding of the second victim phenomenon has broadened. It is now recognized that this experience is not limited to physicians alone but can affect all members of the healthcare team—including nurses, advanced practice providers, trainees, and students. In fact, it is widely reported that the second victim phenomenon will affect nearly 50% of healthcare workers at least once in their careers. Any healthcare professional involved in a challenging or unexpected clinical outcome may experience feelings of guilt, shame, troubling memories, anxiety, or self-doubt. At its worst, these experiences can lead to the clinician leaving healthcare altogether. As awareness of the second victim phenomenon has grown, so too has the emphasis on proactive strategies for support, including early identification, healthy coping mechanisms, and structured peer support programs.
Notably, UTMB’s own Amber High, DNP, APRN, CRNA, CNE, NC-BC, in the Department of Anesthesiology has been instrumental in advancing peer support initiatives designed to help clinicians navigate these difficult experiences.
Further contributing to this important conversation, Reagan Davis, DMSc, PA-C, of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, recently published work exploring the impact of the second victim phenomenon on the practicing physician assistant, highlighting its clinical relevance and the need for peer support systems.
Dr. Davis and Dr. High also recently co-presented on this topic at a national ENT PA conference held at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas. The Society of Physician Assistants in Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery's 2026 ENT for the PA-C conference brought together more than 425 nurse practitioners and physician assistants in otolaryngology from across the country.
Through shared discussion of common clinical scenarios – many of which are inherent to surgical specialties and high-stakes operating room settings – attendees gained practical tools for recognizing the second victim experience and were equipped with strategies for coping, including the development and utilization of peer support networks.
At a time when healthcare provider shortages continue to grow alongside increasing demand for patient access, it is more important than ever that we come together to normalize conversations around medical errors and their impact on clinician well-being. A culture that acknowledges the emotional toll of these experiences – rather than silencing them – helps foster resilience, connection, and safer care for both patients and providers.
If you have experienced the second victim phenomenon firsthand, consider reaching out to a trusted manager, supervisor, or colleague for support and guidance. For those interested in learning more or seeking additional resources, we encourage you to explore Dr. High’s and Dr. Davis’s publications, as well as the UTMB ForU Peer Support resources through the Department of Anesthesiology webpage linked below.
Department of Anesthesiology peer support resources
Second victim syndrome: The impact on the practicing PA
Peer Support Targeting the Second Victim Phenomenon: Implementation and Outcomes