Identifying the needs and optimal support for healthcare professionals after in-hospital cardiac arrest: a qualitative study
5 affiliations
- 1Research Center for Emergency Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- 2Department of General Surgery, Viborg Regional Hospital, Viborg, Denmark
- 3Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- 4Department of Medicine, Randers Regional Hospital, Randers, Denmark
- 5Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Abstract
Introduction: The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has prioritized the well-being of healthcare professionals as a key step toward improving in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) outcomes. However, evidence on how to ensure well-being is lacking. We aimed to investigate how IHCA affects healthcare professionals and to identify helpful coping strategies following IHCA.
Methods: In this exploratory qualitative study, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nurses, doctors, and orderlies purposively recruited from two hospitals in the Central Denmark Region. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: 12 interviews were conducted. Data analysis revealed 6 main themes and 14 subthemes, grouped into 2 overarching themes: factors influencing the emotional impact of IHCA and coping strategies associated with IHCA. The emotional impact was defined by patient-related impact, reflecting the distress of treating young patients and children; contextual impact, such as equipment failures and unclear resuscitation decisions; and personal impact, reflecting the burden of a personal connection to the patient. Coping strategies included passive coping, comprising internal cognitive and emotional processes such as rationalizing outcomes; active coping, comprising deliberate actions such as post-event reflection and training; and reflective coping, comprising awareness of how interpersonal and organizational conditions influenced coping.
Conclusion: This study indicates that healthcare professionals are emotionally affected by patient-related, contextual, and personal factors when dealing with IHCA, and they employ passive, active, and reflective coping strategies to navigate these situations. These findings may help institutions develop supportive systems to promote staff well-being after IHCA.
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BibTeX
@article{roest2026identifying,
title = {{Identifying the needs and optimal support for healthcare professionals after in-hospital cardiac arrest: a qualitative study}},
author = {Sacha L. K. Roest and Kristian Krogh and Bo Løfgren and Kasper G. Lauridsen},
journal = {Frontiers in Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fmed.2026.1940522},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1940522},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Identifying the needs and optimal support for healthcare professionals after in-hospital cardiac arrest: a qualitative study
AU - Sacha L. K. Roest
AU - Kristian Krogh
AU - Bo Løfgren
AU - Kasper G. Lauridsen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Medicine
DO - 10.3389/fmed.2026.1940522
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1940522
AB - Introduction: The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has prioritized the well-being of healthcare professionals as a key step toward improving in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) outcomes. However, evidence on how to ensure well-being is lacking. We aimed to investigate how IHCA affects healthcare professionals and to identify helpful coping strategies following IHCA. Methods: In this exploratory qualitative study, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nurses, doctors, and orderlies purposively recruited from two hospitals in the Central Denmark Region. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: 12 interviews were conducted. Data analysis revealed 6 main themes and 14 subthemes, grouped into 2 overarching themes: factors influencing the emotional impact of IHCA and coping strategies associated with IHCA. The emotional impact was defined by patient-related impact, reflecting the distress of treating young patients and children; contextual impact, such as equipment failures and unclear resuscitation decisions; and personal impact, reflecting the burden of a personal connection to the patient. Coping strategies included passive coping, comprising internal cognitive and emotional processes such as rationalizing outcomes; active coping, comprising deliberate actions such as post-event reflection and training; and reflective coping, comprising awareness of how interpersonal and organizational conditions influenced coping. Conclusion: This study indicates that healthcare professionals are emotionally affected by patient-related, contextual, and personal factors when dealing with IHCA, and they employ passive, active, and reflective coping strategies to navigate these situations. These findings may help institutions develop supportive systems to promote staff well-being after IHCA.
SN - 2296-858X
ER -