Perception of the risk of error in intensive care units: Qualitative study among doctors and nurses

Intensive care units are considered as services with a high risk of error. More and more studies have measured the incidence and impact of errors in intensive care units, but few of them are centered on the impact of the risk of error for professionals. This study focuses on the perception of the risk of error, how it is experienced, and the way in which professionals cope with it. Forty professionals (20 physicians, 20 nurses) participated in clinical interviews. We transcribed recordings and analysed the data using a phenomenological approach. The risk of error is omnipresent in intensive care units. For nurses with less than one years experience, the risk of error is associated with important manifestations of anxiety. On the contrary, for doctors and nurses who have worked for more than one year in ICU, their experience and the relationship of cooperation built with colleagues gives them a feeling of control over risky situations. Our results show that it is important to take into account the risk of error in order to better target the support and training for the ICU professionals. (C) 2016 Societe Francaise de Psychologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.