Secondary Trauma Stress

DEALING WITH SECONDARY TRAUMA STRESS

Midwives can use the following strategies to deal with and/or reduce the risk of experiencing secondary trauma stress: Word Doc: HANDOUT – Midwives – Secondary trauma stress

Self-care

  • Debrief with someone who won’t judge you
  • Talk about your feelings, e.g. grief, fear, anger
  • Develop skills to address e.g. stress and anxiety
  • Express anger in healthy ways
  • Address unhelpful beliefs, e.g. “I am a failure if my patient has a long labour”
  • Deal with interpersonal issues
  • Address unmet expectations and needs
  • Show self-compassion

Healthy life style choices 

  • Food: Make healthy food choices
  • Fluid: Consume enough fluid, especially water
  • Family: Spend quality time with family
  • Friends: Connect with friends
  • Fun: Have fun
  • Finances: Spend money wisely
  • Future: Consider the long-term consequences of the choices you make today.

Be respectful

  • Include mothers and support people in the decision making process
  • Be honest with patients and their family
  • Manage your own anxiety and fear
  • Don’t judge or making comparisons
  • Avoid racist comments/jokes
  • Get informed consent from mothers
  • Acknowledge mothers’ fears
  • Don’t make assumptions
  • Don’t take things personally: assume patients’ responses are usually driven by:
    • love,
    • hate,
    • fear or
    • reduced contact with reality.

Manage your emotions

  • Breathe in slowly and deeply
  • Grounding: What do you see? Hear? Smell? Feel?
  • Normalise feelings: e.g. “It is okay to be unsure/ frustrated. I can still function and make a difference”
  • Address unhelpful thoughts
  • Assess the risk in the situation and get help if necessary
  • Focus: Decide whether your main focus will now be on yourself or the patient
  • Strengths based approach: e.g. positive self-talk, resilience, values, spirituality, prayer

Assess the mother’s needs

  • What is the mother experiencing physically?
  • What is the mother experiencing emotionally?
  • What is the mother thinking?
  • What does the mother need right now?
  • If you were in the mother’s shoes, what would you probably be thinking?
  • If you were in the mother’s shoes, what would you probably need
  • How can the mother’s needs be addressed?
  • Give the mother a ‘code word’ to signal major distress.

 Communication: WHAT to communicate 

  • Acknowledge the mother’s feelings: e.g. “It is challenging when the contractions are so close.”
  • Provide information: Explain:
    • what is happening
    • why it is happening
    • the goal of interventions
    • how interventions will help to get the client’s needs met
    • what the mother can expect.
  • Get consent!!!
  • Get more information if you are unsure
  • Ask if the mother has any questions
  • Let clients debrief about medical misadventures

Communication: HOW to

  • Watch your tone and choice of words: avoid statements such as:
    • “She is so small, she won’t need much anaesthetic.”
    • “Do you want to deliver your baby like a cat or dog?”
  • Be respectful
  • Avoid language and terms that can be misinterpreted
  • Use short sentences
  • Don’t criticise
  • Don’t blame
  • Avoid ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’

Give emotional support

  • Show empathy
  • Acknowledge the mother’s strengths and efforts
  • Give hope
  • Address fears
  • Support family
  • Support other staff/colleagues

After care

  • Reflection
  • Self-care (distraction, relaxation, sport, hobby,
  • Debrief
  • Support group for midwives
  • Supervision
  • Further training
  • Investigate/Research
  • Get professional help if necessary