Emotional Effects of Secondary & Vicarious Trauma of Medical Clinicians
Vicarious trauma and secondary trauma are both forms of indirect trauma that clinicians experience when hearing the stories and treating the suffering of patients who have experienced trauma. Secondary trauma may occur suddenly, after hearing a patient’s story one time; whereas, vicarious trauma represents a shift in the clinicians attitude and worldview after prolonged exposure to patients’ suffering.79
The team uses this vicarious trauma wheel to reflect on how they may be feeling after a traumatic event such as the death of a patient. Image created by Van Dernoot Lipsky L. 80
