First Aid Agency / Afterwards

The responder afterwards

Frequently the person least looked after.

Somebody who has performed compressions on a colleague, particularly where the outcome was poor, has had a significant experience. The organisational response is usually to thank them and return to normal operations.

Reactions can be delayed and are not proportionate to how the responder appeared at the time. Checking back after a few days, rather than only on the day, is where the useful conversation usually happens.

They should also be told the outcome where that is possible and appropriate, since not knowing is one of the harder parts, and organisations frequently withhold it out of privacy caution without considering the effect.

Access to professional support should be offered rather than made available, since the people who most need it are the least likely to seek it out.

The other person who needs attention is whoever decided not to act, or acted late. Guilt about that is common, usually unwarranted, and it is what stops somebody volunteering next time.

The other support worth offering the responder is practical: time, rather than a leaflet. Being sent home for the rest of the day, without having to ask, communicates more than any counselling referral and is frequently what people actually need.