Early identification and management of critical incident stress

Abstract

Everyone experiences stress. That stress may be related to work (internal), community (external), or family; it may be cumulative or related to a particular critical incident. The cost related to treating acute stress is staggering, both to individuals and to organizations. Critical care nurses are well educated in the physiological responses to the stress of acute illness. Recognizing the emotional impact of stress and the techniques to manage it in themselves and in those with whom they work is equally as important. CISD is widely advocated as an intervention after critical incidents. Although debriefing in and of itself is effective, a single-session semistructured crisis intervention will not prevent posttraumatic stress; thus, the use of CISD as part of a comprehensive multifaceted approach to the management of acute stress related to a critical incident is recommended.