Physicians on the Frontlines: Understanding the Lived Experience of Physicians Working in Communities That Experienced a Mass Casualty Shooting. Issue 4 (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: O'Neill, Kathleen M.; Shultz, Blake N.; Lye, Carolyn T.; Ranney, Megan L.; D'Onofrio, Gail; Coupet, Edouard
• Other Names: Ayres Ian guest-editor.; Gluck Abbe R. guest-editor.; Meares Tracey L. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of law, medicine & ethics. Volume 48:Issue 4(2020)Supplement
• Page Start: 55
• Page End: 66
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: Medical laws and legislation -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Law and legislation -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical ethics -- Periodicals; Jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Legislation, Medical -- Periodicals; Legislation, Nursing -- Periodicals; Ethics -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Nursing -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Societies -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Law and legislation; Medical ethics; Medical laws and legislation; United States; Periodicals; 344.73041
• DOI: 10.1177/1073110520979402
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1073-1105

Abstract

This qualitative study describes the lived experience of physicians who work in communities that have experienced a public mass shooting. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventeen physicians involved in eight separate mass casualty shooting incidents in the United States. Four major themes emerged from constant comparative analysis: (1) The psychological toll on physicians: "I wonder if I'm broken"; (2) the importance of and need for mass casualty shooting preparedness: "[We need to] recognize this as a public health concern and train physicians to manage it"; (3) massive media attention: "The media onslaught was unbelievable"; and (4) commitment to advocacy for a public health approach to firearm violence: "I want to do whatever I can to prevent some of these terrible events."