Detail
Article
Online article
FT
Medvik - BMC
  • Something wrong with this record ?

Qualitative Research of Violent Incidents Toward Young Paramedics in the Czech Republic

J. Knor, J. Pekara, J. Šeblová, D. Peřan, P. Cmorej, J. Němcová,

. 2020 ; 21 (2) : 463-468. [pub] 20200221

Language English Country United States

Document type Journal Article

Persistent link   https://www.medvik.cz/link/bmc20025191

INTRODUCTION: Prehospital and emergency medical services (EMS) providers are usually the first to respond to an individual's urgent health needs, sometimes in emotionally charged circumstances. Because violence toward EMS providers in the Czech Republic is often overlooked and under-reported, we do not have a complete understanding of the extent of such violence, nor do we have recommendations from EMS professional organizations on how to resolve this problem in prehospital emergency medicine. METHODS: We conducted this study to explore the process of violence against EMS providers, using the Strauss/Corbin systematic approach of grounded theory to create a paradigm model. The participants in this research included personnel who had at least two years experience in the EMS systems of the city of Prague and the Central Bohemian Region, and who had been victims of violence. Our sample included 10 registered paramedics and 10 emergency medical technicians ages 23-33 (mean ± standard deviation: 27.7). The impact of communication during EMS delivery, in the context of violence from patients or their relatives, emerged as the core category and the main focus of our study. The five main groups of the paradigm model of violence against EMS personnel included causal, contextual and intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. RESULTS: Of the 20 study participants, 18 reported experiencing an attack during the night shift. Ten participants experienced violence on the street, and 10 inside an ambulance. The perpetrators in all 18 cases were men. The behavior of EMS personnel plays a crucial role in how violent confrontations play out: nonprofessional behavior with drunken or addict patients increases the possibility of violence in 70% of cases. CONCLUSION: We found that paramedics and EMTs were exposed to verbal abuse and physical violence. However, in 10 of the violent encounters reported by our 20 participants, the attack was perpetrated by otherwise-ordinary people (ie, individuals with strong family support and good jobs) who found themselves in a very stressful situation. Thanks to grounded theory we learned that for all 20 participants there was a potential opportunity to prevent the conflict.

References provided by Crossref.org

000      
00000naa a2200000 a 4500
001      
bmc20025191
003      
CZ-PrNML
005      
20201222155115.0
007      
ta
008      
201125s2020 xxu f 000 0|eng||
009      
AR
024    7_
$a 10.5811/westjem.2019.10.43919 $2 doi
035    __
$a (PubMed)32191205
040    __
$a ABA008 $b cze $d ABA008 $e AACR2
041    0_
$a eng
044    __
$a xxu
100    1_
$a Knor, Jiří $u Emergency Medical Services of the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. Medical College in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. Prague Emergency Medical Services, Czech Republic. Charles University, 3rd Medical Faculty, Prague, Czech Republic.
245    10
$a Qualitative Research of Violent Incidents Toward Young Paramedics in the Czech Republic / $c J. Knor, J. Pekara, J. Šeblová, D. Peřan, P. Cmorej, J. Němcová,
520    9_
$a INTRODUCTION: Prehospital and emergency medical services (EMS) providers are usually the first to respond to an individual's urgent health needs, sometimes in emotionally charged circumstances. Because violence toward EMS providers in the Czech Republic is often overlooked and under-reported, we do not have a complete understanding of the extent of such violence, nor do we have recommendations from EMS professional organizations on how to resolve this problem in prehospital emergency medicine. METHODS: We conducted this study to explore the process of violence against EMS providers, using the Strauss/Corbin systematic approach of grounded theory to create a paradigm model. The participants in this research included personnel who had at least two years experience in the EMS systems of the city of Prague and the Central Bohemian Region, and who had been victims of violence. Our sample included 10 registered paramedics and 10 emergency medical technicians ages 23-33 (mean ± standard deviation: 27.7). The impact of communication during EMS delivery, in the context of violence from patients or their relatives, emerged as the core category and the main focus of our study. The five main groups of the paradigm model of violence against EMS personnel included causal, contextual and intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. RESULTS: Of the 20 study participants, 18 reported experiencing an attack during the night shift. Ten participants experienced violence on the street, and 10 inside an ambulance. The perpetrators in all 18 cases were men. The behavior of EMS personnel plays a crucial role in how violent confrontations play out: nonprofessional behavior with drunken or addict patients increases the possibility of violence in 70% of cases. CONCLUSION: We found that paramedics and EMTs were exposed to verbal abuse and physical violence. However, in 10 of the violent encounters reported by our 20 participants, the attack was perpetrated by otherwise-ordinary people (ie, individuals with strong family support and good jobs) who found themselves in a very stressful situation. Thanks to grounded theory we learned that for all 20 participants there was a potential opportunity to prevent the conflict.
650    _2
$a dospělí $7 D000328
650    12
$a pomocný zdravotnický personál $x psychologie $x statistika a číselné údaje $7 D000488
650    _2
$a nesouhlas a spor $7 D034462
650    _2
$a urgentní zdravotnické služby $x statistika a číselné údaje $7 D004632
650    _2
$a urgentní lékařství $7 D004635
650    _2
$a ženské pohlaví $7 D005260
650    _2
$a lidé $7 D006801
650    _2
$a mužské pohlaví $7 D008297
650    _2
$a profesionalita $7 D000068616
650    _2
$a kvalitativní výzkum $7 D036301
650    _2
$a rizikové faktory $7 D012307
650    12
$a násilí na pracovišti $x prevence a kontrola $x psychologie $x statistika a číselné údaje $7 D064450
651    _2
$a Česká republika $x epidemiologie $7 D018153
655    _2
$a časopisecké články $7 D016428
700    1_
$a Pekara, Jaroslav $u Medical College in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. Prague Emergency Medical Services, Czech Republic.
700    1_
$a Šeblová, Jana $u Emergency Medical Services of the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. Medical College in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
700    1_
$a Peřan, David $u Medical College in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. Prague Emergency Medical Services, Czech Republic. Charles University, 3rd Medical Faculty, Prague, Czech Republic.
700    1_
$a Cmorej, Patrik $u Emergency Medical Services of the Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic. Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Division of Health Studies, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic.
700    1_
$a Němcová, Jitka $u Medical College in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. Prague Emergency Medical Services, Czech Republic.
773    0_
$w MED00165399 $t The western journal of emergency medicine $x 1936-9018 $g Roč. 21, č. 2 (2020), s. 463-468
856    41
$u https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32191205 $y Pubmed
910    __
$a ABA008 $b sig $c sign $y a $z 0
990    __
$a 20201125 $b ABA008
991    __
$a 20201222155111 $b ABA008
999    __
$a ok $b bmc $g 1599336 $s 1115877
BAS    __
$a 3
BAS    __
$a PreBMC
BMC    __
$a 2020 $b 21 $c 2 $d 463-468 $e 20200221 $i 1936-9018 $m Western journal of emergency medicine $n West J Emerg Med $x MED00165399
LZP    __
$a Pubmed-20201125

Find record

Citation metrics

Archiving options