A patient dies during your shift. 

A patient hits you. 

You witness a particularly difficult resuscitation. 

A family threatens you. 

Time and again, you look after seriously injured patients. 

For a healthcare professional, these situations can be part of everyday life. “It’s part of the job” is something we sometimes hear. But that doesn’t mean it’s without consequences. 

From October 19 to 25, the FIQ’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Week will take place with the theme, ”Work-related trauma: it’s treatable and preventable”. 

When something that happens at work follows us home 

After a difficult event, you get home, but your head is still at work. 

You keep thinking about what happened. You sleep poorly. You startle more easily. You avoid certain situations that remind you of the event. You find it hard to concentrate. Or you simply feel different, without really knowing why. 

These are the reactions which may occur following a potentially traumatic event (PTE). 

And you don’t have to have been a direct victim to be affected. You can also be affected without having experienced the event directly, for example by witnessing it or being repeatedly exposed to difficult situations. 

“I’m trained for this”… really? 

Healthcare professionals are trained to intervene in stressful and complex situations. But this training does not make them immune to trauma. 

After an event, certain reactions gradually disappear. Others persist. This is why the first 30 days are important for recognizing the signs of distress, obtaining support and acting quickly.

And it’s not up to you to bear the whole burden alone. Employers have a responsibility to prevent risks and protect physical and mental health in the workplace. 

Find out more so you can recognize the signs more easily 

To mark OHS Week, the FIQ is providing you with practical tools to help you understand what a potentially traumatic event is, recognize the reactions it may trigger, and know what to do when such a situation arises. 

What should you do after being exposed to a traumatic event? When should you seek help? What is post-traumatic stress? What does psychological first aid involve? What resources are available? 

You can find the answers to these questions, the tools and resources on our web page dedicated to OHS Week 2026. 

A work-related trauma can leave its mark. You shouldn’t wait until the effects become permanent before taking action. 

Work-related trauma: It’s treatable and preventable.