Ethical Responsibility

EMT

Rhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to assist in the Haiti recovery efforts, he arrived in the disaster-impact area, and became a part of a major crisis. He labored with zeal over two weeks, working with the wounded, mutilated, and broken bodies of the victims—both dead and alive. He helped in the rescue efforts by digging dead bodies out of rubble, participating in the burial of the dead, and tending to the wounded. The more he helped, the more he began to feel that the sheer number of dead and wounded was beyond his capacity to cope. Thereafter, he experienced decreased appetite, was oblivious to his uniform and shelter, and adopted the belief that he had to “save everybody”. He was on overdrive and gave his best efforts, but without adequate support arrangements, on the first night, he collapsed in a state of exhaustion among the wounded and the dead, and fell asleep. This was only the first night for this doctor in the disaster area. Over the next few days maintaining the same routine, he started to develop physical fatigue and tiredness, and had difficulty going to sleep. He became fearful of the aftershocks that continued to rock the ground. Outbursts of anger became a constant feature of his personality, and as a result, he also became quarrelsome with his colleagues. All these complaints rendered him unable to perform his duties. There was now no pleasure in daily life, and he experienced the feeling of “having not done enough”. In the face of such adversity from nature, he was trapped in a persistent state of physical and emotional fatigue. What are the signs and symptoms that Rhett is potentially experiencing vicarious trauma? Would you consider him impaired?