Critical incident stress and challenges for the emergency workplace

A formal response to all levels of critical incidents that are potentially psychologically disturbing is needed. This response is needed for small-scale and large-scale incidents, such as natural or manmade disasters. Health care providers at all levels should be encouraged to participate in wellness programs and to understand workplace stressors. Critical incident stress debriefing teams have a valuable role in preventing posttraumatic stress disorder. Procedures for establishing response teams are presented, and future directions are discussed.