Large-scale system failures can damage an organization's credibility. This commentary analyzes how one organization responded after an incident that involved 76 patients who mistakenly received fatally high doses of radiation. The strategies discussed center on the importance of organizational communication to patients, navigating the blame response, and rapid efforts to prevent similar events.

This qualitative study examined narratives of nursing students' errors and found three common themes: "save the day" narratives (nurses recognize and mitigate physician errors), "silence" narratives (nurses do not disclose errors to patients), and "not always right" narratives (students were able to challenge supervisors). These narratives underscore the importance of a positive safety culture for identifying and mitigating errors in real time.

Clinicians who are involved in a medical error and experience considerable emotional distress, shame, and self-doubt are considered second victims. This commentary used interviews with physicians and administrators involved in a hospital's disclosure and apology program to determine the emotional process physicians undergo after committing and disclosing a medical error.

This study used in-depth interviews with physicians to analyze how they discussed the practical and emotional implications of medical errors.