Which health care worker should be referred to critical incident stress debriefing?

Choice A reason: A 12-hour shift in a trauma center is stressful but not a critical incident requiring debriefing. Chronic stress may elevate cortisol, but critical incident stress debriefing targets acute trauma exposure, not routine workplace demands. Choice B reason: Oncology nursing involves chronic emotional stress, not an acute critical incident. Chemotherapy care may cause burnout via sustained cortisol elevation, but debriefing is for sudden, traumatic events, not ongoing patient care challenges. Choice C reason: Home health nursing for mental illness involves ongoing stress, not a single traumatic event. Chronic exposure may dysregulate serotonin and cortisol, but critical incident stress debriefing is reserved for acute, overwhelming trauma, not routine care. Choice D reason: Treating car bombing victims is a critical incident, causing acute stress via amygdala-driven fear and cortisol surges. Debriefing mitigates PTSD risk by processing trauma, restoring prefrontal cortex regulation, and reducing long-term neurochemical imbalances, making this the appropriate choice.