Competent care of the trauma patient relies on care providers’ ability to perform complex cognitive and procedural tasks under pressure. Stress degrades performance, and typical low-stakes training is usually inadequate to prepare for its effects. Stress exposure training (SET) is a three-phase process designed to prepare individuals and teams to function optimally in high stress settings. In SET, trauma personnel learn about the effects of stress, develop stress management skills, and train under realistic, stressful simulation environments. This process allows care providers to habituate to stress, so they can function optimally while caring for real critically ill trauma patients.