Preventing post traumatic stress disorder in accident and emergency nursing. A review of the literature.

The literature suggests that defusing immediately following a resuscitation may help to reduce abnormal stress reactions and critical incident stress debriefing is recommended following critical incidents to help prevent emergency personnel developing post-traumatic stress disorder.

Abstract

Nurses working in Accident and Emergency may be susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder (Rentoul and Ravenscroft 1993, Scott and Stradling 1994). The literature suggests that defusing immediately following a resuscitation may help to reduce abnormal stress reactions (Mitchell, 1988; Wright, 1992, 1993). Critical incident stress debriefing is recommended following critical incidents to help prevent emergency personnel developing post-traumatic stress disorder (Jimmerson, 1988; Mitchell, 1983, 1988; Parkinson, 1995).