CASE SCENARIO

DW is a colleague who joined my practice 2 years ago after residency. A few days ago, after DW placed an intrauterine device (IUD), the patient's uterus perforated, leading to emergency surgery. Later that day, I saw a departmental email that listed the case for presentation at an upcoming morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference. Today, I found DW after clinic to see how he was feeling and handling the situation. He shared that he felt like a failure and was worried that people were judging him as being incompetent. He had not talked with anyone about what happened because he was afraid of the effect it would have on his reputation. He said he has been feeling isolated at work and has experienced anxiety and self-doubt over his clinical decisions, even referring another patient needing an IUD to a colleague rather than attempting the procedure again. He continued to share that he was not sleeping well, has been defensive with his spouse, and even snapped at one of the nurses over a minor miscommunication, all of which, he expressed, were out of character for him. He said he was struggling and did not know what to do. Other than listening intently and validating his feelings, what more can I do to support my colleague?