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Table 3 Themes and subthemes, in relation to the interview’s structure

From: Female residents experiencing medical errors in general internal medicine: a qualitative study

Domains explored during the interviews

Themes

Subthemes

General considerations about medical errors

1. Insufficient culture of safety and error

-

Residents’ personal experiences with errors

2. Perceived causes of errors

Fatigue

Stress and work overload

Inadequate level of competences in relation to assigned tasks and/or

inadequate supervision

Dysfunctional communication

3. Negative feelings in response to errors

Emotional distress

Guilt/self-blame

Self-doubt/loss of confidence

Anger against self

4. Variable attitudes of the hierarchy

From very supportive to not supportive at all

Residents’ ways of coping

5. Talking about the error

Talk to family members

‾ as the core coping mechanism

To friends

To peers and colleagues

  

To supervisors

  

Disclose the error to the patient

 

6. Defensive and constructive attitudes towards errors

Share responsibility of the error with others

 

Blame the system

 

Consider the problem of error as normal

 

Learn from one’s own errors and make changes in the future

Gender issues and errors

7. Gender-specific experiences in relation to errors

Male residents perceived as more confident and less affected by errors

  

Perceptions that sexist attitudes among male supervisors can occur