Dogmalysis.

Air medical and critical care providers encounter the extremes of being both in-hospital and out-of-hospital clinicians, work in unpredictable environments, and treat patients with the most significant injury patterns and diagnoses. These demands highlight the need to recognize unique mental challenges for those who work in the air medical environment and the process by which providers make decisions. Patients who present with a high-acuity/low-volume pathology generate particularly difficult situations with abundant opportunity for both celebrations of performance and learning from mistakes.

Cognitive Appraisal and Stress Performance: The Threat/Challenge Matrix and Its Implications on Performance.

Background: Stress has the potential to improve performance through increased focus and strength or negatively impact performance through distraction and decreased fine motor control. The first step in the distinction between success or failure in a stressful situation is making the decision to engage in the process or withdraw. Cognitive appraisal describes the process of evaluating a stimulus as either a challenge to be met or an overwhelming obstacle from which to retreat.