Critical Incident Stress in Healthcare Education: An Integrative Review.

This article reviews the current state of research on critical incident stress (CIS) in healthcare education, focusing specifically on nursing students. Critical incident stress refers to the psychological and physiological responses to unexpected, traumatic events encountered in clinical settings, which can affect students' learning and well-being. The review identified only four peer-reviewed studies—all within nursing education—that indicate students experience both positive and negative effects from CIS, yet formal critical incident stress management (CISM) programs are not widely integrated into healthcare curricula. The findings highlight a significant gap in research and practice, underscoring the need for standardized educational approaches to prepare and support healthcare students in managing CIS and for further studies to evaluate the outcomes of such interventions.