Abstract
BackgroundParamedics experience traumatic events and social emergencies during assignments while also being subjected to verbal and physical threats. Consequently, they are at risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress, factors inherent to professional quality of life. Defusing and peer-support potentially decrease such symptoms; however, perceived defusing needs and use are not always balanced. Our aim was to explore Finnish paramedics’ professional quality of life, using the Professional Quality of Life Scale, with associations to EMS assignment experiences as well as formal and informal defusing need and use over a 12-month period.MethodsA quantitative study of 257 Finnish paramedics using a cross-sectional design. Study outcomes were secondary traumatic stress (STS), compassion satisfaction (CS), and burnout (BO) scores using the modified 9-item Short Professional Quality of Life scale (ProQOL). Likert-type scales were used to collect participants’ recollections of assignment experiences and defusing from a 12-month period. Associations were explored using Spearman’s correlation coefficients.ResultsShort ProQOL score medians were STS 4.00 (IQR 3), BO 6.00 (IQR 3) and CS 13.00 (IQR 3). STS and BO correlated to experiences of social emergencies and traumatic events while BO correlated to experiences of threat situations (r = 0.206, p = .001). Paramedics perceived a need for defusing in general associated with STS (r = 0.178, p < .001) and participated in informal defusing. Participation in defusing of any form did not associate with ProQOL scores.ConclusionsFinnish paramedics’ more frequent experiences of social emergencies, traumatic events, and paramedic-directed threat situations were associated with higher levels of STS and BO. STS was also associated with paramedics’ increased need for defusing and use of informal peer defusing, although neither STS, BO or CS scores associated to any defusing form. Managing paramedics STS and BO, while fostering CS, could therefore be a future research focus.
Highlights
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or pre-hospital ambulance work is traditionally characterised as high-stakes and risky in varying and unpredictable conditions [1]
Associations between EMS dispatch experiences and paramedics’ professional quality of life Paramedics generally recalled more frequent experiences of social emergencies compared to experiences of traumatic events and paramedic-focused threats, with the latter recalled in moderate amounts
Associations between defusing and paramedics’ professional quality of life scores Our results suggested that participants’ need for postassignment defusing correlated with STS
Summary
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or pre-hospital ambulance work is traditionally characterised as high-stakes and risky in varying and unpredictable conditions [1]. Traditionally focusing on trauma and emergency situations, paramedics today often assess and treat patients with non-acute presentations [2] and act as first-line support for patients in social emergencies [3]. Such patient groups associate with social vulnerability, isolation, homelessness, and lower quality of life [4] and often for them, EMS might be the only point of care [3]. Paramedics experience traumatic events and social emergencies during assignments while being subjected to verbal and physical threats They are at risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress, factors inherent to professional quality of life. Our aim was to explore Finnish paramedics’ professional quality of life, using the Professional Quality of Life Scale, with associations to EMS assignment experiences as well as formal and informal defusing need and use over a 12-month period
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