Crisis Management

Abstract

Some years ago, a nurse was mugged on a New York City subway platform. The thief pulled a very large knife, demanded the nurse's jewelry and handbag, and then brutally shoved her to the ground, nearly into the path of an oncoming train. After the mugger fled, other commuters helped the frightened and bruised nurse to her feet and summoned the transit police. As soon as the police arrived, the nurse, still shaken, said, “Quick! My address and keys are in the handbag—he'll probably rob my apartment next!” So, the nurse and the police sped off to her home, where, just as she had predicted, they surprised the subway mugger in the process of denuding the apartment of its salable contents. When asked how she had managed to keep her head after such a terrifying experience, the nurse replied, “I work in the emergency room. I've been trained to stay cool in a crisis.”