Leadership Styles and Qualifications for Emergency Medical Service Managers

Abstract

The current practice of appointing Emergency Medical Service (EMS) managers purely on a medical qualification without a managerial qualification needs to be revisited. EMS by virtue of its nature of operations makes the industry dynamic and Paramedics need good leadership together with strong management so that the core objectives of EMS become easier to achieve. The literature reviewed showed that managers with managerial qualifications were better equipped to manage than those managers without a qualification. Managers can learn and better their leadership styles whilst simultaneously improving their relationship with the staff. A formal managerial qualification is beneficial to managers since it empowers them with the knowledge to make informed decisions. The advantage of an Advanced Life Support (ALS) qualification over an Intermediate Life Support qualification is obvious, however the smaller number of ALS graduates does not allow for the successful fulfilling of all EMS management posts. The findings of this study suggest that EMS managers need exposure to managerial and leadership training programmes and that the minimum requirements for an EMS manager's post should be an ALS medical qualification as well as a managerial qualification. The findings also revealed a mismatch between the leadership tendencies of EMS managers and the staff's preference of a leadership style.