Experts discuss Stress First Aid, a peer support and self-care model

On April 28, 2021, the AMA held a webinar in the AMA STEPS Forward™ series: "Stress First Aid for health care professionals."  

This webinar focused on Stress First Aid (SFA), a peer support and self-care model designed to improve self-care and assist peers in reducing the negative impacts of stress. SFA is practical, flexible and tailored to the specific styles and needs of those involved. Its core actions were derived from research that has identified five elements related to better recovery from a number of different types of ongoing adverse circumstances.

Attendees learned about indicators of different zones of stress, as well as simple, practical actions to respond to multiple sources of stress.

• Richard Westphal, PhD, RN, FAAN Director, Alliance for Compassionate Care, School of Nursing; co-director, Be Wise: Wisdom and Wellbeing, UVA Health
• Patricia J. Watson, MD Clinical psychologist, National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder