THE WELL-BEING OF THE WELL-BEING OF THE EMRTHE EMR

Emotional Aspects of Emotional Aspects of Emergency CareEmergency Care

Stressful SituationsStressful Situations

The EMR will experience The EMR will experience personal stress, as well as personal stress, as well as encounter victims and encounter victims and bystanders under severe bystanders under severe stressstress Multiple casualty incidentsMultiple casualty incidents Trauma to infants or childrenTrauma to infants or children Traumatic injuriesTraumatic injuries Infant/child/elder/spouse Infant/child/elder/spouse

abuseabuse Death/injury of a co-worker Death/injury of a co-worker

or other public safety or other public safety personnelpersonnel

Emotional CrisesEmotional Crises Everyone involved in a serious injury, Everyone involved in a serious injury,

sudden illness, or death will face an sudden illness, or death will face an emotional crisis.emotional crisis.

Everyone is affected by death, and Everyone is affected by death, and response to a death is highly response to a death is highly individualized.individualized.

Predictable grieving stages involve:Predictable grieving stages involve: AnxietyAnxiety DenialDenial AngerAnger BargainingBargaining Guilt/depressionGuilt/depression AcceptanceAcceptance

Emotional CrisesEmotional Crises Steps that will help the EMR to deal with a Steps that will help the EMR to deal with a

dying victim and his or her family members.dying victim and his or her family members. Recognizing that the victims needs include Recognizing that the victims needs include

sharing, communication, privacy, and control.sharing, communication, privacy, and control. Allowing family members to express emotions, Allowing family members to express emotions,

know that its usually not personalknow that its usually not personal Listening empatheticallyListening empathetically Not giving false reassuranceNot giving false reassurance Using a gentle tone of voiceUsing a gentle tone of voice Letting the victim know that everything that can Letting the victim know that everything that can

be done to help will be donebe done to help will be done Comforting the familyComforting the family

Warning Signs of StressWarning Signs of Stress

IrritabilityIrritability Inability to Inability to

concentrateconcentrate Difficulty Difficulty

sleeping/nightmaresleeping/nightmaress

AnxietyAnxiety GuiltGuilt Loss of interest in Loss of interest in

workwork

What is Critical Incident What is Critical Incident Stress?Stress?

A critical incident is a specific A critical incident is a specific situation that causes an EMR to situation that causes an EMR to

have an unusually strong have an unusually strong emotional reaction that interferes emotional reaction that interferes with his or her ability to function with his or her ability to function immediately after the event and immediately after the event and

later on. This reaction can produce later on. This reaction can produce stress called Critical Incident Stressstress called Critical Incident Stress

Critical Incident StressCritical Incident Stress Strong emotional reaction that interferes Strong emotional reaction that interferes

with ability to functionwith ability to function Can build-up over days, weeks, months, or Can build-up over days, weeks, months, or

yearsyears May require counselingMay require counseling A critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) A critical incident stress debriefing (CISD)

is a type of meeting held within 24 to 72 is a type of meeting held within 24 to 72 hours of an incident.hours of an incident. During a CISD, participants are encouraged to During a CISD, participants are encouraged to

have an open discussion of feelings, fears, and have an open discussion of feelings, fears, and reactions triggered by the incident.reactions triggered by the incident.

DefusingDefusing Less formal and less structuredLess formal and less structured

The Emergency SceneThe Emergency Scene

At The Scene, Need to At The Scene, Need to EvaluateEvaluate

Location of the Location of the emergencyemergency

Extent of the Extent of the problemproblem

Apparent scene Apparent scene dangersdangers

Apparent number of Apparent number of victimsvictims

Behavior of victims Behavior of victims and bystandersand bystanders

Need for additional Need for additional assistanceassistance

Ensure Your Safety ByEnsure Your Safety By

Evaluating the present and potential Evaluating the present and potential dangersdangers

Wearing proper protective gearWearing proper protective gear Doing only what your are trained to doDoing only what your are trained to do Summoning additional resourcesSummoning additional resources

Possible Dangers at an Possible Dangers at an Emergency SceneEmergency Scene

CrimeCrime TrafficTraffic FireFire ElectricityElectricity Water/iceWater/ice Hazardous materialsHazardous materials Unstable Unstable

structures/vehiclesstructures/vehicles Natural disastersNatural disasters Multiple victimsMultiple victims Hostile situationsHostile situations

Safety to OthersSafety to Others

Ideally, victims should be moved to Ideally, victims should be moved to safety only after they have been safety only after they have been assessed and cared for appropriatelyassessed and cared for appropriately

There are situations in which this There are situations in which this won’t be true, but we will discuss this won’t be true, but we will discuss this laterlater

Break-out SessionBreak-out Session

Firefighters arrive to help with a motor vehicle Firefighters arrive to help with a motor vehicle collision in which a pedestrian has been struck. collision in which a pedestrian has been struck. The location is a dangerous intersection. The The location is a dangerous intersection. The

time is rush hour. The problem is compounded by time is rush hour. The problem is compounded by heavy fog and rain. The vehicle has struck a utility heavy fog and rain. The vehicle has struck a utility pole, resulting in a downed wire. There appears pole, resulting in a downed wire. There appears to be two people in the car and one pedestrian in to be two people in the car and one pedestrian in the roadway close to the downed wire. The driver the roadway close to the downed wire. The driver of the vehicle is slumped over the steering wheel. of the vehicle is slumped over the steering wheel.

The passenger is screaming for help, and the The passenger is screaming for help, and the pedestrian is not moving. Bystanders are pedestrian is not moving. Bystanders are

gathering; several are moving toward the vehicle gathering; several are moving toward the vehicle to help but do not appear to see the downed wire. to help but do not appear to see the downed wire.

How would you handle this situation.How would you handle this situation.

AssignmentAssignment

Read Chapters 3 in the textbookRead Chapters 3 in the textbook Complete workbook Unit 3Complete workbook Unit 3