Do nurses perceive that there is a need for defusing and debriefing following the resuscitation of a patient in the accident and emergency department?

Defusing and debriefing are techniques that have been used to prevent staff developing psychological problems such as post traumatic stress disorder (Mitchell, 1988). It has been identified that nurses may be susceptible to a form of post-traumatic stress disorder known as prolonged duration stress disorder (Scott and Stradling, 1994). This study employs a non-experimental survey to identify the current practice of defusing and debriefing in an accident and emergency department and explores nurses' perceptions of the need for defusing and debriefing following the resuscitation of a patient. A theoretical framework of cognitive therapy is utilised to structure the study.