By Christina Orlovsky, senior writer
No one can adequately prepare for tragedy like the one that
struck the Virginia Tech campus on April 16, but nurses nationwide can anticipate the need
for compassionate care-giving during any emergency situation. Donna Mason, RN,
MS, CEN, president of the Emergency Nurses Association, addressed the importance
of a nurse's role in such times of tragedy.
“Nurses play a really integral role in situations like this
because not only are they being the deliverers of care but they are also
responsible for critical stress debriefing,” Mason said. “Whenever students come
into the emergency department, nurses go into automatic pilot mode to deal with
the physical needs and when they finish, they're also dealing with the emotional
needs.”
Mason added that in emergency situations where mass casualties
are involved, nurses need to realize that they, too, are affected, and they need
to take time out to debrief and de-stress themselves in order to avoid burning
out.
“Nurses are caregivers and they deal with other people
immediately, letting them talk about what they saw and felt and being good
listeners. Then someone has to deal with them,” she said.
“It's best if you do it within the first four to eight hours
after the incident, pulling people together to talk about what they saw and
heard,” Mason continued. “Finally, nurses are in a position to realize there are
long-term effects and they need to recognize if someone is not handling stress
and needs to seek professional help.”
For more resources from emergency nurses, visit the ENA Web
site.
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