Abstract

Many health care professionals will sooner or later be called upon to help someone who has been the victim of a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, an act of criminal violence, a catastrophic accident, or regrettably, even a terrorist attack. There is little time for reflection during a traumatic incident, and there is no room for health care providers to become emotionally involved. Because of the magnitude of the health care curriculum and the limited time available, the training most health care professionals receive in this area is quite limited. Educators hope that their students will acquire these skills as they practice their profession in the field; however, there is no certainty that the health care provider will be exposed during his or her residency to victims of such devastating events, and therefore, may never fully be capable of managing this patient population. Providers are often ill-equipped to handle victims of traumatic events, and yet, the immediate actions of some health care responders may have an indelible result on victims.