A qualitative study of head nurses’ experience in China: forced growth during patient safety incidents

Patient safety incidents can lead to negative impacts, role dilemmas, and management confusion for head nurses, but they also promote purposeful rumination, meditation, and growth. Medical institutions should pay attention to special groups that are second victims of head nurses and construct a safety event support system for nurse leaders to improve the post-training and education system for nurse leaders, help them better adapt to their roles, break through their role dilemmas, improve their post-competence, and construct an effective safety event management system.