– The purpose of this paper is to explore a better understanding of Holistic Debriefing processes from a learning perspective.
– During a terror attack in which 69 people were killed and 66 were wounded, a Search and Rescue crew experienced “fear of death” while giving life-saving help to victims of the attack. Afterwards, the crew conducted a Holistic Debriefing. The crew participated in interviews to share their experience of this type of debriefing.
– The findings from the Holistic Debriefing sessions suggest that the debriefing process was experienced as positive in terms of social support, emotions and meaning. These experiences are further explained from a learning perspective.
– This research was conducted on a small group of individuals experiencing an extreme situation, and findings may not readily generalize to other populations or situations.
– Holistic Debriefing has been adopted by an increasing number of squadrons in the Norwegian Air Force.
– Holistic Debriefing has been implemented at the Norwegian Air Force Academy, and may be relevant for other units involved in similar operations.
– This study is unique when it comes to exploring Holistic Debriefing of rescue personnel in the aftermath of a terror attack. Moreover, Holistic Debriefing is also addressed as a reflection process in order to enhance individual and group learning processes.
