R these 4 REAL????

ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2002

Our hospital has an EAP, that can be utilized for employees or their family members... we get 6 free counseling sessions. No debriefing groups tho. Never heard of that before.

CMERN · Dec 2, 2002

thanks ShandyLynnRN, the debreifing group thingy was mentioned once in R.N. school (the psyche part) then I heard it mentioned again when I went for TNCC. I havent personally ever seen it implemented... I was just wondering. If I were to enconter a pt case or situation that impacted me/and other medical team members so srtongly ...would an immediate debreifing (for lack of words) group ,post shift....improve or worsen nurses work environment.... But HEY one thing I DONT wonder about...WHO'S GOT THE TIME???

PRNnightnurse · Dec 2, 2002

I've worked at places that have something called a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. The powers that be organize it after something particularly hard to deal with happens.

For example: A couple of years ago, two days before Christmas, there was a really bad car accident and three small children eventually died. The EMT's, Paramedics, ER nurses and some of the first responders got together at a facility sponsored CISD with counselors and just talked about our feelings and what happened.

These debriefings do work and also just talking to coworkers helps.

Hope this answers your question

Jacki

fab4fan · Dec 2, 2002

When I worked in hospice, we ha a weekly "support" group to sort of debrief/talk over the events of the past week.

I found it not helpful...the leader, who came from the chaplain dept. of the hosp had her own agenda every time we met, so we rarely got to talk about what we wanted.

I stopped going because it was too frustrating; another thing, one day she kind of went on a rant about a particular religion (kinda funny, because it happened to be my faith). The other people in the group were trying to signal to her that she was treading on ice, but she just forged ahes. The look on her face wheen I said, "That happens to be my faith" was too funny.

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 2, 2002

My hospital has an active stress debriefing program. Individuals are trained to lead the discussions -- and they never lead a discussion on their own unit. A session can be initiated by any staff member in response to a single stressful incident or a series of stressful ones.

Having worked here for 5 years, I have seen mixed results. Some people find them helpful, but others do not. One of the difficulties is getting people to participate. It's difficult to "get away" from the unit to go to anything that lasts long enough to be effective -- so, people must come in on the "time off." They are paid to attend, of course, but many people won't take the time to do it.

Like other methods of dealing with stress, they only work to the extent that you actually do them -- and one method doesn't work the same for everybody.

llg

CMERN · Dec 2, 2002

Thanks alot... as always on allnurses, you offer so much knowledge. I can see where it/debriefing could help... hmm? does it take a certain amount of trust and openness between medical team members?.. If a CISD meeting is called could this meeting and any of its issues discussed ever be discovered and brought in to a "court/legal case"?

sjoe · Dec 2, 2002

CMERN--This clearly would be a good idea, but I have heard of it being used only as a theory (or on a VERY occasional basis), except with hospice volunteers. Since it would not generate an immediate profit, it may be a long while before such a useful process will actually be widely implemented.

Perhaps some "nurse retention specialists" will push this idea more in the future, rather than balloons and pizza and $100 certificates.

jemb · Dec 2, 2002

Several places that I have worked, including the current one, have mentioned organizing such a group. In oncology, we need it. But, the fact is, there is no time for such a luxury!

maureeno · Dec 2, 2002

we have several types of debriefing.

one is done by the persons involved in a SOF which involves hospital security, or when a unit SOF goes scary or gets physical. we discuss what happened, what might have been done better. we make sure everyone is okay. this takes only a few minutes. unit nurses lead these.

in the other more formal debriefing, special 'suits' can come in at staff request for a critical incident. For example, a patient unexpectedly dies on our psych unit.

CATHYW · Dec 3, 2002

If nothing else, you can get together with the other nurses, aides, or whatever staff was involved, and just discuss whatever heart-rending thing occurred, as a group. It would be best to make a rule that there would be no finger-pointing, or accusations. The main thing is to SUPPORT one another. If someone inadvertently did something wrong that caused a problem, or an injury, that person is going to feel doubly traumatized.

sunnygirl272 · Dec 3, 2002

the hospital i used to woprk at did do debriefings when needed..ie mva with pedi codes..big traumas...traumatic deaths of coworkers...

i luckily never had to participate...my worst code was a 20yr old...my age at the time..she was about 2 months postpartum..college kid...had seized in her dorm room...ugh..it waas sad...never did find out if she had put the baby up or what....