Before the creation of the forYOU peer support program, there was no road map to follow to help health care workers recover from emotional impact of the loss of a patient or a traumatic clinical event.
In 2007, before the program was fully implemented, one out of seven health care workers in the MU Health Care System reported emotional trauma following a “patient safety event,” and 68 percent did not receive trauma support, according to an internal survey completed by the system.
Susan Scott, coordinator of forYOU and doctoral student in the Sinclair School of Nursing, created the idea for the peer support program in 2006 after she saw how loss of a patient affected Tony, a nurse. Tony, whose name has been changed to maintain privacy, formed a bond with a patient who later died following a minor procedure.
Scott recognized that other health care workers, like Tony, might have been suffering from emotional trauma that they weren’t coping with in a healthy way.
“They came in that day to work to help somebody, and when they couldn’t do that, it caused them a lot of distress,” Scott said. “We decided we needed to figure out a way to help the staff when they were experiencing a difficult clinical event.”
The forYOU program consists of 93 members, from physicians to social workers, who have completed eight hours of support training. Scott said the program provides “emotional first aid” to health care workers who become “second victims.”
“A second victim is anyone who is emotionally impacted or traumatized by a clinical event and is second-guessing their career and their qualifications,” said Laura Hirschinger, facility leader with the forYOU peer support program.
ForYOU became the first of its kind when its steering team launched the program in 2007. In order to understand how to help health care workers cope with tragedy, a team of researchers with the program analyzed the second victim phenomenon, Scott said. Researchers found that clinicians experience a six-stage grieving process that is not affected by how recently the event occurred, and that clinicians do desire support from colleagues.
ForYOU provides clinician support in three tiers of local or department support provided by coworkers, support and beginning levels of counseling provided by the trained peer supporters and professional support from trained counselors.
“Historically, we’d always try to keep on going and sort it out on our own at home,” Scott said. “People go into health care to feel like they can help, and if they go into a situation and can’t help it’s devastating to their professional psyche.”
Becky Miller, executive director of the Center for Patient Safety, an organization based at University Hospital that works statewide and nationwide to improve patient safety, said many health care workers leave their profession following an emotional trauma. Miller said the forYOU program supports employees in a profession that traditionally focuses on patients and families.
“I think helping them (health care workers) through a crisis can keep them in the profession … and keep them full-functioning in their job,” Miller said.
Scott and Hirschinger have presented the program to more than 5,700 people in more than 45 locations, including Denmark, England and Switzerland, where they were flown to speak about the program at conventions.
In 2009, forYOU received the HOPE Award from the Medically Induced Trauma Support Services, and The Institute for Safe Medication Practices awarded the program the Cheers Award in 2012.
Hirschinger said forYOU especially helps clinicians confront trauma in an environment that values privacy and confidentiality.
“We want to be professional with our patients, and we also want to be compassionate,” Hirschinger said. “So it’s kind of this weird balance … and I think we have never allowed ourselves to pause when we feel this impact of caring.”
At a recent regional presentation, one doctor shared with Scott the emotional trauma he had experienced in 1996. He had never told anyone about the experience before.
“He said, ‘I wish you were there in 1996,’” Scott said. “‘I’ve wasted so much negative energy.”