Serving Florida

Erik Helms

Program Director

1-877-282-2071

Psychological and Emotional aspects of
providing basic life support.

There is evidence that persons trained in CPR are often unwilling to perform it - both in and outside the hospital setting. There are a variety of reasons given including fear of disease, fear of hurting the patient, fear of performing the skills incorrectly, and fear of liability. It is important to remember that the risk of getting disease while giving CPR is extremely low and observing universal precautions for patients of all ages will make it lower. Fears associated with CPR skill performance can be reduced through regular participation in quality training that focuses on simple, practical skills and confidence building. Still, when resuscitation is attempted, doctors, nurses, EMS providers and bystanders can experience a wide range of negative reactions and emotional stress.
Failed resuscitation attempts often leave laypersons and professionals - especially those who perform resuscitation infrequently - feeling guilt and failure when CPR was not “done right.'' This distress is normal and usually temporary. The tables on the following pages will help BLS providers appreciate the common psychological, emotional, legal and ethical aspects of providing BLS.

Psychological Aspects
 Fear
Hurting the patient or performing the skill incorrectly.

 Reality
Rib and breastbone fractures occur frequently during chest compressions in adult CPR but are not major complications. In infants and toddlers, CPR rarely causes such injuries.

Although CPR should be “done right'' and at a high quality, it is helpful to remember that a person in cardiac arrest is dead (without breathing or a pulse). It is hard to make them “worse''.

The root of the word “resuscitate'' is from the Latin “revivere” which means “to live again.'' Rescuers who perform high quality CPR in good faith are attempting to give the patient a chance to live again and should not hold themselves responsible when that attempt does not restore life fully - or at all.

Mistakes in resuscitation may reduce the chances for successfully resuscitating the patient, but they do not “kill'' them. The majority of adult and child patients of cardiac arrest are not brought back to life. They stay dead.

Emotional Aspects
Traumatic stress reactions are a normal, human response to a traumatic event and are usually temporary. Symptoms begin within minutes of the traumatic event and should disappear within hours or a couple days.

Traumatic Stress Reactions Signs and Symptoms

• During Incident Anxiety/worry
• Trembling/Shaking
• Sweating
• Fast Breathing
• Pounding heartbeat, shock, anger
• Excitement, intense fear
• Nausea

Following Incident

• Thinking about event repeatedly/flashbacks
• Worry about self or loved ones
• Guilt for not having done more or better
• Tense Muscles, diarrhea/constipation, nausea/vomiting, headaches, tired
• Avoiding reminders of incident
• Easily Startled
• Lack of interest in usual activities
• Sadness, feeling numb/detached
• Sleep problems/nightmares
• Problems concentrating
• Hyperactive/depressed

Traumatic Stress Reactions First Aid

During Incident Treatment guidelines
Remain calm and act sensibly
Accept your own limitations as a rescuer

Following Incident Remind yourself that stress reactions are normal and will pass.

Get back into a normal routine as soon as possible.
Be kind to yourself. Allow yourself time to deal with memories of the incident.

Traumatic Stress Reactions First Aid
Following incident Cont. Accept every person’s right to his or her own feelings.

Keep what happened in a realistic perspective. Exercise, eat, drink, and rest.

Have a connection to professional resources for continued care if necessary.