Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T17:11:00.726Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Patient Care and Daily Stress Among Emergency Medical Technicians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Edwin Boudreaux ,
Glenn N. Jones ,
Cris Mandry  and
Phillip J. Brantley
Edwin Boudreaux*
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University, Department of Psychology, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Glenn N. Jones
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Cris Mandry
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Phillip J. Brantley
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
*
Earl K. Long Medical Center, Center for Primary Care Research, 5825 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70805, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

There is conflicting research regarding the extent to which patient care is a source of stress for emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Some research indicates that it is important, whereas other studies suggest that it takes a “back seat” to administrative and organizational problems. This study sought to explore this issue further by investigating the relationship between caring for patients, daily workday stress, and daily nonworkday stress among EMTs.

Methods:

All EMTs employed by East Baton Rouge Parish Emergency Medical Services were eligible for participation. After the study was described, subjects completed a demographic information sheet and informed consent was obtained. Participants then completed 30 days of monitoring with a standardized measure of daily stress (the Daily Stress Inventory) and a measure of patient-care stress designed for use in this study (Emergency Call Questionnaire).

Results:

A very large portion of the variance in the EMTs' overall daily workday stress was associated with patient care (r = 0.677, p <0.001). Additionally, patient care stress on workdays significantly predicted overall daily stress on the following nonworkday (i.e., post-workday) (r = 0.633, p <0.001). Finally, EMTs who had stressful pre-workdays rated their patient care as more stressful on the following workday (r = 0.512, p <0.01).

Conclusions:

Results suggest that patient care is a critical factor in daily stress among EMTs, both on workdays and post-workdays, providing preliminary evidence for a carryover effect. Evidence also suggests that stress on the day before work may influence EMTs' perceptions of their patients on workdays.

Keywords

burnoutdaily stressemergency medical technicianspatient carestress levelsstress managementstress reactions
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , September 1996 , pp. 188 - 193
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Cydulka, RK, Lyons, J, Moy, A, et al. : A follow-up report of occupational stress in urban EMT-Paramedics. Ann Emerg Med 1989;18:1151–1156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Dutton, LM, Smolensky, MH, Leach, CS, et al. : Stress levels of ambulance paramedics and fire fighters. Journal of Occupational Medicine 1978;20:111–115.Google Scholar
3. Grigsby, DW, McKnew, MA: Work-stress burnout among paramedics. Psychol Rep 1988;63:55–64.Google Scholar
4. Hammer, JS, Mathews, JJ, Lyons, JS, Johnson, NJ: Occupational stress within the paramedic profession: An initial report of stress levels compared to hospital employees. Ann Emerg Med 1986;15:536–539.Google Scholar
5. Neale, AV: Work stress in emergency medical technicians. Journal of Occupational Medicine 1991;33:991–997.Google Scholar
6. Revicki, DA, Whitley, TW, Landis, SS, Allison, EJ: Organizational characteristics, occupational stress, and depression in rural emergency medical technicians. J Rural Health 1988;4:73–83.Google Scholar
7. Schwartz, RJ, Benson, L, Jacobs, LM: The prevalence of occupational injuries in EMTs in New England. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 1993;8:45–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Brownstone, JE, Shatoff, DK, Duckro, PN: Reducing stress factors in EMS: Report of a national survey. Emergency Health Services Review 1983;2:35–53.Google Scholar
9. Allison, EJ, Whitley, TW, Revicki, DA, Landis, SS: Specific occupational satisfaction and stresses that differentiate paid and volunteer EMTs. Ann Emerg Med 1987;16:676–679.Google Scholar
10. Mitchell, JT: The 600-run limit. Journal of Emergency Medical Services 1984;1:52–54.Google Scholar
11. Whitley, TW, Revicki, DA, Allison, EJ, Landis, SS: The rural EMT and work-related stress. Emergency Medical Services 1988;17:61–64.Google Scholar
12. Herbison, RJ, Rando, TA, Plante, TG, Mitchell, GW: National EMS burnout survey. Journal of Emergency Medical Services 1984;9:48–50.Google Scholar
13. Durham, TW, McCammon, SL, Allison, EJ: The psychological impact of disaster on rescue personnel. Ann Emerg Med 1985;14:664–667.Google Scholar
14. Miles, MS, Demi, AS, Mostyn-Aker, P: Rescue workers’ reactions following the Hyatt hotel disaster. Death Education 1984;8:315–331.Google Scholar
15. Reed, RF: Job satisfaction survey of EMS personnel. The EMT Journal 1981;5:21–26.Google Scholar
16. Goldstein, IB, Jamner, LD, Shapiro, D: Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate in healthy male paramedics during a workday and a non-workday. Health Psychol 1992;11:48–54.Google Scholar
17. Jamner, LD, Shapiro, D, Goldstein, IB, Hug, R: Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate in paramedics: Effects of cynical hostility and defensiveness. Psychosom Med 1991;53:393–406.Google Scholar
18. Selye, H: The Stress of Life. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978.Google Scholar
19. Brantley, PJ, Jones, GN: Daily stress and stress-related disorders. Ann Behavioral Medicine 1993;15:17–25.Google Scholar
20. Beaton, RD, Murphy, SA: Sources of occupational stress among fire-fighter/EMTs and a firefighter/paramedics and correlations with job-related outcomes. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 1993;8:140–150.Google Scholar
21. Revicki, DA, May, HJ, Whitley, TW: Reliability and validity of the Work-Related Strain Inventory among health professionals. Behavioral Medicine 1991;Fall:111–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. Mitchell, JT, Everly, GS: Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD): An Operations Manual for the Prevention of Traumatic Stress Among Emergency Services and Disaster Workers. Ellicott City, Md.: Chevron Publishing Corporation, 1993.Google Scholar