What influences safety in paramedicine? Understanding the impact of stress and fatigue on safety outcomes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to build on extant research linking fatigue to safety outcomes in paramedicine by assessing the influence of a multiplicity of workplace stressors, including chronic and critical incident stresses on safety outcomes.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was deployed to 10 paramedic services in Ontario. Validated survey instruments measured operational and organizational chronic stress, critical incident stress, post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS), fatigue, safety outcomes, and demographics.

Fatigue and Safety in Paramedicine.

Objectives: Extant research has established an empirical relationship between fatigue and safety-related outcomes. It is not clear if these findings are relevant to Canadian paramedicine. The purpose of this study was to determine if fatigue and shiftwork variables were related to safety outcomes in Canadian paramedics.

Predictors of posttraumatic stress and preferred sources of social support among Canadian paramedics.

Objective: Emergency medical service (EMS) providers are exposed to a variety of stressors endemic to the profession. These exposures may contribute to stress reactions, including posttraumatic stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between work-related stressors and posttraumatic stress.