PTSD can reduce the quality of life for a long time but it is a treatable condition. The earlier it is detected, the better it will be for the person being crippled by it. Furthermore, in a workplace that has a high risk of facing traumatic experiences, taking the steps to prevent PTSD should be a prime concern. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Wild tackles the important aspects of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. She shares the work that she’s been doing around the prevention of PTSD and some recommendations to help prevent PTSD and what to do after nurses experience something traumatic and stressful in the workplace.Listen and learn in this episode.KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODEPost Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a crippling stress reaction and it consists of several symptoms. The core symptoms that drive all of the other clusters are the re-experiencing symptoms.Re-experiencing symptoms are the repetitive, unwanted, intrusive memories of the worst moments of somebody's trauma.The Avoidant Cluster refers to people trying hard not to think about what happened and avoiding reminders and places that remind them of what happened.Negative Alterations in Cognition and Mood Cluster refers to the changes in the way we think about ourselves and the world. Memory symptoms also have a direct impact on the body.The natural response is a resilience response that can include some of the symptoms of PTSD. A small proportion of people go on to develop persistent PTSD.   The Risk Factors of PTSD:Fixed Risk Factors: Being a woman and having a history of mental health problems Modifiable Risk Factor: Dwelling on the past Once you can recognize that you are dwelling, the best thing to do is to get out of your head and shift your attention from your thinking to the outside world. When the feeling of guilt lingers, one should shift the focus from what they didn't do to what they did do that was helpful.Sleep is very important for emotional memory consolidation and in enabling us to access parts of our memories that can help dampen down the trauma response.In the immediate aftermath of trauma, kindness goes a long way.Social support is one of the predictors of recovery.Early detection and intervention can play a very important role in improving the quality of life of people with PTSD. Today’s Guest:Dr. Jennifer Wild is an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford and a Professor of Military Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. She has a program of research that focuses on preventing PTSD for high-risk occupations.Nurse Wellbeing Mission run online and in-person workshops for nurses and midwives where we train people in four key skill sets of self-forgiveness. This helps to overcome mistakes, setbacks, and moral distress. Drop us an email to find out more: nathan@nursewellbeingmission.com Visit our website at: https://www.nursewellbeingmission.comJoin our free Facebook group here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/nursewellbeingmission