Citation

Robbins I. J. Clin. Nurs. 1999; 8(3): 263-268.

Affiliation

Traumatic Stress Service, St George's Hospital, London, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10578748

Abstract

It has been suggested that there are three major disasters each week world-wide of such a magnitude that local services are overwhelmed. Nurses are frequently involved in assisting in emergencies. This paper reviews current work looking at the impact of working in emergency settings and overseas humanitarian aid work. There is evidence that being at a disaster site or overseas humanitarian operation can be psychologically damaging. Strategies aimed at reducing this damage, such as debriefing, are poorly evaluated but often carried out as an act of faith. This is an area that needs to be addressed as nurses will increasingly be involved in this work.

Language: en