Wellbeing scenarios Carole

58, Consultant

What happened?

Carole is on call during a busy December evening. The unit has been particularly busy and there are bed shortages.

Carole was told the Transport team are bringing in a patient from a small town in the region.
Carole admitted the patient to PICU. The patient was gravely unwell and was rushed into theatre.
The anaesthetist phoned Carole to inform her that the patient had died in theatre.

The anaesthetist told Carole she did all that she could to save the patient.
Carole took some time out by walking to the canteen. She bumped into her PCC colleague, Anika, on the way.
Anika asked if Carole was OK, and Carole burst into tears.
Anika took Carole to the canteen and they had a hot drink.
Carole felt uneasy crying in front of Anika, a much younger and more junior colleague.
Anika reassured Carole that it is okay to show emotion, and proceeded to listen to Carole.
Carole went back to PICU, feeling cared for after talking things over with Anika.
Carole was then able to complete her shift calmly. When she got home, she slept well.

PCC Staff could run debriefs to help them work through challenging and upsetting events. It’s important that all those involved in challenging events get an opportunity to reflect on them and understand what happened.
It’s important that everyone feels able to share their emotions. Support can come from any member of the PCC team, regardless of their role or age.
It can be really helpful to everyone on the unit when more senior colleagues show their vulnerability in this way.
Listening without judgement can make all the difference.