Sentinel events are adverse events that result in death or severe patient harm and require a full organizational investigation to identify root causes and make recommendations to prevent recurrence. This study pooled sentinel event reports from 28 Dutch hospitals to identify common system-level contributing factors. Aggregation of system-level factors may provide more urgency in implementing recommendations than a single case at one organization.

This meta-analysis found that work-related critical incidents were positively related to post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and depression. The authors advocate for preventive measures to address these potential symptoms.