Lessons in post-disaster self-care from 9/11 paramedics and emergency medical technicians
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore preferred self-care practices among paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who responded to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack (9/11) in New York City (New York USA).
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Qualitative research methodology with convenience and subsequent snowball sampling was utilized. Participants were adult (at least 18 years of age) paramedics or EMTs who self-reported as responding to the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Preferred self-care practices; participant characteristics; indications and patterns of self-care use; perceived benefits and harms; and views on appropriate availability of support and self-care services were the main outcome measures.
RESULTS: The 9/11 paramedic and EMT participants reported a delay in recognizing the need for self-care. Preferred physical self-care practices included exercise, good nutrition, getting enough sleep, and sticking to routine. Preferred psychosocial self-care practices included spending time with family and friends, participating in peer-support programs and online support forums, and routinely seeing a mental health professional. Self-care was important for younger paramedics and EMTs who reported having less-developed supportive infrastructure around them, as well as for retiring paramedics and EMTs who often felt left behind by a system they had dedicated their lives to. Access to cooking classes and subsidized gym memberships were viewed as favorable, as was the ability to include family members in self-care practices.
CONCLUSION(S): A range of physical and psychosocial self-care practices should be encouraged among paramedic students and implemented by Australian ambulance services to ensure the health and well-being of paramedics throughout their career and into retirement.
Keywords
9/11, emergency medical technician, EMT, paramedic, self-care, adult, ambulance, article, career, cooking, disaster, exercise, female, friend, human, human experiment, male, mental health care personnel, New York, nutrition, outcome assessment, peer group, qualitative research, rescue personnel, retirement, sampling, self care, sleep, student, terrorism, wellbeing
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
6-1-2019
ISSN
1945-1938
Volume
34
Issue
3
PubMed ID
31204643
Publication Title
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
28850
Copyright
subscription content
First Page
335
Last Page
339
Comments
Smith, E., Walker, T., & Burkle Jr, F. M. (2019). Lessons in post-disaster self-care from 9/11 paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 34(3), 335-339. Available here