Psychological first aid – what is it and how do I learn about it?

How the intervention strategy can help nurses to cope following distressing or traumatic incidents, or in crisis situations, and also support colleagues and patients

Psychological first aid (PFA) is an intervention strategy to support people in severe distress following crisis events.

These traumatic events might include natural disasters, accidents, violent crimes or trauma experienced in nursing work, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PFA can be offered by trained nurses and nursing staff themselves can also benefit from its support.

Modern PFA is defined by five principles, first outlined by experts in an influential 2007 article .

The five principles of PFA

These five principles say that when people