Debriefing in the intensive care unit: a personal experience of critical incident stress

With reference to two case studies this paper outlines critical incident stress (CIS) and describes the development of critical incident stress management (CISM) and its relevance to ICU. The current debate surrounding CISM is examined. CISM offers only one solution to CIS in critical care settings but it is in danger of being adopted without proper evaluation and research into its effectiveness. Provision of adequate staff support through clinical supervision may be easier to implement and more widely accepted by nursing staff than formal CISM strategies.